Proposition 52K1251

Proposition de résolution relative à l'amélioration des possibilités de traitement préventif de la bronchiolite à VRS chez les prématurés et chez les autres jeunes enfants faisant partie d'un groupe à risque.

General information ¶

Authors

CD&V Nathalie Muylle
Ecolo Muriel Gerkens
N-VA Flor Van Noppen
Open Vld Maggie De Block, Katia della Faille de Leverghem
PS | SP Yvan Mayeur
Vooruit Maya Detiège, Freya Van den Bossche

Submission date

June 16, 2008

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

child resolution of parliament early childhood respiratory disease health insurance

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld MR FN VB

Voted to reject

N-VA

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

April 29, 2009 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Mrs Pécriaux, rapporteur, informed me that she refers to the written report.

Mr. Speaker, I will briefly take the word for premature pregnancies in our country. This resolution ensures that premature babies are treated at the same level as in other European countries, Canada and the United States. We stood behind in that area because there was a drug that only had a limited refund in Belgium compared to other countries. This is corrected.

You will also find in the resolution that Minister Onkelinx has given his consent to the firm.

We also ask that parents be better informed and sensitized. Financial resources will also be allocated to further improve the preventive approach in the treatment of those premature children.

That is, in this country, better treatment will be able to reduce hospitalization for that weak group of children.

I thank my colleagues who supported the proposal, and in particular Mrs De Block, for responding very strongly to some of Mr Goutry’s comments in the committee. We were somewhat surprised, I want to tell you. Nevertheless, I am still very pleased that this resolution is being adopted.

Mr. Speaker, colleagues, I will not take much of your time, but I still feel obliged to take the word in connection with this proposal for a resolution submitted by Mrs. Detiège and signed by all Flemish factions, majority and opposition, including N-VA and PS.

The proposal was signed by all Flemish groups except one, in particular the Flemish Interest Group. This cannot be done. You know that hypocritical game. However, I must confess that we have hesitated to give our vote to this proposal for a resolution on improving the preventive treatment options for RSV bronchiolitis.

Prevention is primarily a Community competence. The first question in the resolution is, therefore, to the Government to take the necessary measures, in cooperation with the Communities and the Regions, to inform and raise awareness of parents about the dangers of RSV and the preventive measures they can take in the case of high-risk babies. I would rather express it if the Communities and Regions point out their responsibilities.

Today, however, the Communities cannot pursue a decent preventive policy because they are not competent for the health insurance, nomenclature and benefit covered by this proposal.

Communities will and can not conduct a decent preventive health policy because they are not themselves responsible for the curative policy. Conversely, the federal level cannot conduct decent health policy because it is not responsible for the preventive policy.

Taking into account the socio-economic aspects, the OECD also says that responsibilities on prevention and curative health belong to the same level.

Given the numerous differences in approach to health care and the huge differences in education, the level is that of the states. It is, in fact, the democratic right of each Community to approach this personal matter, its own health, in accordance with its own views.

The transfer of the entire health policy to the Communities is therefore one of the legitimate Flemish demands which is also fully supported by our party.

I would like to remind once again that this was also a requirement of the Flemish cartel before the 2007 elections, but that in the community negotiations since the note of the transitional government-Verhofstadt, which was approved by that same cartel, there is not much more to notice of the overthrow of health care.

Of all those tough Flemish statements, election promises about a major necessary state reform, there is nothing more to be noticed, except in electoral congresses of electoral profit.

Those who should ⁇ not be fooled by this immobilism are the weakest of our society, the premature and young children who belong to a risk group.

We welcome the request from the federal government to adjust the nomenclature and provide the necessary financial resources for an optimal preventive approach and treatment of bronchiolitis in young children, which is still a federal competence to this day, however we regret it.

We absolutely do not want premature and vulnerable children to become a playball in the political game. For this reason, our party has too much respect for human life.

We thank Ms. Detiège for her initiative. Our group will therefore support this draft resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add something. Indeed, the part of prevention is located both at the federal level and at the level of the regions. However, the refund of medicines is in any case a matter within the competence of Minister Onkelinx.

The preventive approach in relation to parents, such as non-passive smoking, hand washing – I referred to this in the resolution – is situated at the level of the regions. Hence the importance of cooperation between the levels when it comes to diseases as a whole.

For me, it is especially important to ensure that on the European level we are equal to the other countries and that children have the right to reimbursement of treatment. This is now done by this resolution.

I think everyone in the committee was behind it. I do not want to add anything else.