New Delhi: The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Singh Patel, announced in the Lok Sabha on Friday that the government provides up to Rs. 50 lakhs per patient for rare disease treatment.
Patel revealed that the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) launched in March 2021 has benefited 1,118 patients so far.
Support and Facilities at Centres of Excellence
The financial support covers treatments at 12 notified Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for rare diseases. These CoEs include top government tertiary hospitals equipped with facilities for diagnosing, preventing, and treating rare diseases.
The NPRD currently includes 63 rare diseases, based on recommendations from the Central Technical Committee for Rare Diseases (CTCRD). The policy categorizes rare diseases into three groups: those treatable with one-time curative methods; those needing long-term or lifelong treatment at lower costs; and those requiring high-cost, lifelong treatment with complex patient selection.
Patel noted that the Ministry secured exemptions from Goods & Services Tax (GST) and Basic Customs Duty on drugs imported for individual use and through CoEs.
The Ministry also established the National Consortium for Research and Development on Therapeutics for Rare Diseases (NCRDTRD) to advance research in this field.
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