The Indian Express ·
Allahabad High Court asks Centre to fund treatment of 3 children with rare disorder
Noting that the estimated cost of the treatment was Rs 72 lakh, the high court highlighted the difficulties faced by people who can’t afford expensive medical treatment and directed the Centre to take appropriate steps.
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Centre to consider providing financial assistance for the treatment of three children with a rare genetic disorder, while ordering their admission at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, for further medical evaluation. The treatment is expected to cost around Rs 72 lakh per year.
A bench of Justices Alok Mathur and Amitabh Kumar Rai passed the directions on September 15 while hearing a petition filed on behalf of three children diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type-I (MPS-I) – Hurler-Scheie Phenotype or Hurler–Scheie Syndrome.
The bench observed that the financial burden of treating such diseases could be “so exorbitant as to be beyond the reach of ordinary citizens” and said the state should extend financial and medical assistance to them.
