THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George said that all the children under 12 years of age suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) have been given free medicine through a special scheme of the state government. Further treatment and free medicines for the next stages will be given to them. A total of 80 children up to 12 years of age were given free medicines worth Rs 6 lakh per dose. Medicines worth Rs 20 lakh per month were also distributed free of cost to children suffering from lysosomal storage diseases. Apart from this, the minister also said that medicines are being given to those suffering from other rare diseases with a treatment cost of Rs 50 lakhs through SAT Hospital which is a center of excellence for rare diseases.
This is a crucial step in the treatment of rare diseases. The minister pointed out that for the first time in India, a state has started providing free drugs for rare diseases at the government level. The Minister also said that Hub and Spoke model was implemented for the first time in the country in the treatment of rare diseases. First SMA Clinic started at SAT Hospital for treatment of rare diseases. An innovative surgery to correct curvature of the spine in children with SMA has been successfully launched at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for the first time in the government sector. So far 5 surgeries have been done. In private hospitals, surgeries costing around Rs 15 lakh are being done free of cost in medical colleges.
