Odisha: Rs 10 lakh aid for each Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patient

Bhubaneswar: Extending financial support to the patients suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the state government has allowed one-time financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs to each discharged patient for meeting the requirements towards electric wheelchair, appropriate physiotherapy, genetic test and treatments in higher super speciality institutions.

Department of Health and Family Welfare, Odisha, has issued a notification to this effect. 

The notification outlined the procedure to be followed for disbursement of the financial assistance.

It mentioned that the family of the patients would represent before the concerned district Collector for financial assistance. The representation would be verified by the concerned Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer.

After the due procedure, the Collector of the concerned district would sanction the assistance of Rs 10 lakhs from the Chief Minister's relief fund (CMRF), which would be credited to the bank account of the living patients.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that taking cognizance of the non-compliance of its order directing the release of Rs 5 crore for the treatment of children suffering from rare diseases, the Delhi High Court has sought the presence of the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in several petitions relating to the matter. The Delhi High Court has summoned the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a number of petitions about the treatment of children with rare diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Hunter's syndrome.

A bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh said that the Union Ministry has consistently refused to comply with court orders to allocate further funds for treatment. The court is considering petitions that ask for the patients' very expensive treatment to be provided without charge.