‘Kid with rare disease treated under central scheme’

NEW DELHI: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that the two- year-old-boy on whose behalf a plea was moved seeking funds to treat his rare disease would be covered under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) Scheme.

The Centre, however, said the funds can be released for the boy’s treatment only on an application forwarded by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he is a patient.

The central government also told the court that once the AIIMS application is received, it shall be processed in accordance with the scheme and if the boy is found eligible, the funds will be released.
The submission was made before Justice Navin Chawla in response the plea moved on behalf of the toddler by his father who has sought financial help for his son’s treatment.

In view of the Centre’s submission, the father told the court that he will request AIIMS to immediately process his application for funds and to forward it to the Health Ministry for release of money under the RAN scheme.

The court listed the matter on July 3. The petition, filed in the boy’s name, has stated that he suffers from the rare chronic granulomatous disease, an inherited primary immunodeficiency ailment that increases the body’s susceptibility to infections caused by certain bacteria and fungi.

The boy’s father has said, in the plea, that the treatment of "cord blood transplant" costs Rs 15 lakh which neither he nor his family can afford.

With PTI inputs