Photo Courtesy: tripuratimes
Agartala: The Union Health Ministry promised up to Rs 50 lakh for 22-month-old Manashree Chowdhury. The toddler suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare genetic disorder. MP Biplab Kumar Deb pushed the case to the federal level. His intervention forced the government to acknowledge the case.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda confirmed the aid eligibility under the National Policy for Rare Diseases. The policy provides support through designated Centres of Excellence. These include RIMS Imphal, Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, and IPGME&R Kolkata. Manashree must now head to one of these locations for a medical evaluation.
A Rare Disease Committee will decide the exact financial and treatment path for the child. Nadda wrote to Deb confirming the move. He noted, "Patients suffering from rare diseases are eligible for assistance at designated Centres of Excellence."
The ministry also directed the Nodal Officer for Rare Diseases at AIIMS in New Delhi to help. Officials pointed to a digital portal for crowdfunding as an extra way to gather money for high-cost care. This move brings national attention to the girl's fight. The family now looks toward these government resources to pay for expensive gene therapy.
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