A Chinese father has stopped taking the medication that controls his hepatitis B in a last-ditch bid to keep him and his family in Australia.
“My biggest concern is my children because I have been here for seven years and they receive their education here and I know it's really hard for me to take them back to my country.” “If you are seeking to buy them [the medication] on a private script, with no government rebate whatsoever, it could be as cheap as $30 a month. Where the government, for the same drug, is paying five times that on the PBS [Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme],” he told SBS News.
When calculating costs under the requirement, a Department of Home Affairs spokesperson told SBS News it uses the cost of medication as paid by the government.After being told he failed the requirement, Paul told his doctor in February he was stopping taking the antiviral medication he had been taking since 2006, believing its cost is what stopped him passing the health requirement.
According to Dr Cowie, the antiviral medication can cut the risk of liver cancer for people with hepatitis B by 50 to 70 per cent in only a few years.“I have been under this process for almost two months but I can feel I'm really tired now.” Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection globally and is caused by the hepatitis B virus which infects the liver. It some cases it can lead to scarring of the liver, liver cancer or liver failure if not monitored.
Bye bye 👋👋
Cost the taxpayer too much? You know what costs me too much? The money the government hands out to mothers. I'd rather my $1 go to him and securing his kids' futures in Australia.
A dollar a day..come on ScottMorrisonMP AlboMP PeterDutton_MP this is just ugly bureaucracy. The guy has had his condition since birth , he didn’t get it from drug taking or being reckless. ..this is what discretionary decisions are about ...a fair go . MarisePayne Auspol
The regulations are ok. He has hidden his condition in the first place