JCP proposes free medical care for preschool children

In a move to respond to parents and other citizens' demands, Japanese Communist Party Diet members group on April 17 issued an outline of a bill to give all preschool children access to free medical care.

The bill is aimed at providing free medical care for preschool children regardless of household income. It states that the national and local governments share the burden equally.

At present, every local government has a different system for assisting in medical expenses for infants, with age and household income limits. Also, the Koizumi Cabinet is considering increasing citizens' burdens of medical expenses.

At a press conference in the Diet building, Inoue Miyo, JCP member of the House of Councilors, stated, "Medical costs that parents have to pay for their children are increasing as more children suffer from atopic dermatitis and other diseases." She said that the total amount of 102 billion yen for this project can be easily produced by cutting expenses for huge public construction works. (end)