New Delhi: Since August of last year, when rules were announced for providing financial aid to patients with uncommon diseases, the Union Health ministry has paid Rs 22.20 crore for 134 patients receiving treatment at eight selected hospitals.
In accordance with the National Strategy for Rare Diseases, 2021, the ministry boosted the financial support for patients with all types of rare diseases from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh on May 19, and issued guidelines for providing financial aid to such patients on August 11.
The number of specialised hospitals allocated to care for patients with extremely rare conditions, such as Gaucher disease, tyrosinemia, severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), and others, has reportedly expanded from eight to eleven.—Inputs from Agencies
