Payment proposal for hospital services

A Church commission yesterday proposed that the government should charge a nominal fee on medicines presently distributed free and should also levy hospitalisation fees on those holding private health insurance.

The recommendations are part of a long list published by the Curia - which include revising the minimum wage and increasing parental leave - in reaction to the government's pre-budget document.

In its proposals on health, the Justice and Peace Commission also proposed that a pro forma invoice should be issued with medicines highlighting the cost to the government and the benefit being received by the beneficiary.

Furthermore, it said surgery should be outsourced to private hospitals as a means to reducing the waiting list at Mater Dei Hospital.

The commission also called for better allowances for disabled children, a paternity leave quota to encourage male spouses to shoulder part of the burden of raising children and an increase of parental leave to 17 weeks for the second child and 21 weeks for the third child.

The commission said the fiscal benefit available to those parents who send their children to kindergartens or private schools should be increased gradually over a definite period until the entire fee is allowed as a deduction against income for tax purposes.

The same system should also be applied to residents in private residential homes for senior citizens.

"A process should be initiated for the revision of the minimum wage, over a period of not more than three years, to an amount which will guarantee a modest standard of living. Persons in receipt of a minimum wage are living below the poverty line and are therefore considered vulnerable," the commission said.

Premiums payable on private health and pension schemes should be fully deductible against income for tax purposes.

Those in receipt of a service pension should be entitled to receive the social security pension in full.

Interest paid on loans for the purchase of a first residence should be fully deductible against income for tax purposes. This benefit should be capped on a specific loan amount.

The government should also carry out an evaluation that would determine the special needs of Church schools for the employment of facilitators with children with special needs, counsellors and social workers, educational psychologists, career advisers, activity teachers, health and safety teachers, computer technicians and relief teachers. The cost should be borne by the government.

The commission has proposed that the age limit for the consumption of alcohol should be immediately raised to 18 with a plan for this to be extended to 21 within three years. The tax on alcoholic beverages and tobacco should be increased substantially as a disincentive to drinking and smoking, it proposed.

Hefty fines should be introduced for the emission of poisonous fumes by public transport vehicles and other heavy vehicles as a result of abuse in the mixing of fuels for economic reasons.