AAP MP Sanjay Singh Urges Government to Reduce Costs for SMA Treatment
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has requested the Upper House to allow him to present his views on Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) disease during the Zero Hour. SMA has impacted hundreds of children in the country.
Singh stated, “Sir, I would like to bring to your notice that at present hundreds of children in the country are suffering from a serious disease called SMA. This disease is so dangerous that due to it most of the infants die across the world.”
The AAP MP highlighted that the injection used to treat SMA is priced at Rs 17 crore and the government has also imposed GST on it, making it unaffordable. He said, “The injection used in this disease costs Rs 17 crore, which is imported from abroad, on which GST has also been imposed by the government. Hundreds of children in the country are losing their lives due to lack of treatment, unavailability of medicines, heavy tax rates and extremely expensive medicines.”
Singh asked the government to ensure the availability of medicines at cheap rates, proper guidelines, and immediate reduction in tax rates for the treatment of children suffering from SMA disease.
Spinal muscular atrophy is a neurological disease affecting voluntary muscle movement, leading the muscles to shrink. In 2022, then Minister of State in Health Bharati Pravin Pawar reported 295 SMA cases in the country. Pawar mentioned that the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance gives full waiver of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and IGST to drugs imported for personal use for SMA treatment, making the medicines more affordable. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has also initiated the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Pharmaceuticals to support domestic manufacturing of various product categories, including Orphan drugs.
Doubts Revealed
AAP -: AAP stands for Aam Aadmi Party, a political party in India that focuses on issues like corruption and public welfare.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament, a person elected to represent the people in the Parliament of India.
Rajya Sabha -: Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of the Parliament of India, where members discuss and make laws.
Sanjay Singh -: Sanjay Singh is a politician from the Aam Aadmi Party and a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -: SMA is a serious disease that affects the muscles, making it hard for children to move and sometimes even breathe.
GST -: GST stands for Goods and Services Tax, a tax added to the price of goods and services in India.
Rs 17 crore -: Rs 17 crore is a large amount of money in Indian currency, equal to 170 million rupees.
duties -: Duties are taxes that the government charges on certain goods, like medicines, when they are imported or sold.
domestic manufacturing -: Domestic manufacturing means making products within the country, which can help reduce costs and create jobs.
