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Haryana health minister assures free treatment for spinal muscular atrophy patients
Parents of a few such patients from Ambala, Karnal and Panipat met health minister Anil Vij at his weekly Janata Darbar on behalf of the Cure SMA Foundation of India, and sought affordable healthcare
Haryana home and health minister Anil Vij on Saturday assured free treatment for at least 19 patients of the state suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder.
Parents of a few such patients from Ambala, Karnal and Panipat met the minister at his weekly Janata Darbar on behalf of the Cure SMA Foundation of India, and sought affordable healthcare.
“The drugs for its treatment are now available in India and I will make efforts to provide these for free to these patients, on lines of those of hepatitis B and hemophilia diseases,” said Vij.
HT has earlier reported about the disorder that according to doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh, has three types, and mostly affects babies and children, causing muscles to deteriorate.
Vij also marked an inquiry to DGP PK Aggarwal in a 2018 murder case from Palwal, after the victim’s family alleged police lapse; and to ACS (health) Rajiv Arora into cheating allegations in a PNDT case against Ambala deputy civil surgeon Dr Balwinder Kaur by an informer of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
Vij said he ensured that there was no pendency of files at his offices and complaints were forwarded to the departments concerned for resolution, and an action-taken report was submitted within 15 days.
