Cancer imposes catastrophic health expenditure in India, with medicines constituting over 60% of out-of-pocket expenditure. Research shows wide price variations, limited cost containment.
India has 8.4 to 19 crore rare disease patients, according to health ministry estimates. But current beneficiaries in most cases are kids or those who need relatively less expensive drugs.
The medical research body aims to encourage domestic companies to develop cost-effective treatments for rare conditions, such as spinal muscular atrophy, Gaucher disease, among others.
Surgery conducted at Fortis Escorts, Okhla. Removal of diseased portion of liver was a challenging task as organ was stuck around surrounding vital structures.
Finance ministry announces exemption from basic customs duty. Cost of some medicines used to treat rare diseases ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, says govt.
Their main demands were amendment of rules to ensure insurance firms can't deny reimbursement of medical expenses & funding of indigenous research to develop a treatment protocol for DMD.
DMK govt accuses Centre of withholding funds, tightening borrowing, unilateral deductions from state accounts. Says Centre's accounting & funding decisions have 'artificially inflated' debt burden.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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