Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking help for the treatment of a 15-month-old boy from Karnataka, who has been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 2, a rare genetic disease.
Posting the letter dated October 27 on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the Chief Minister has requested the Prime Minister to waive off the import taxes on Zolgensma, the expensive ₹17.5 crore single-dose injection, required for the child’s treatment. He has also urged the Prime Minister to consider allocating monetary support from the PM CARES Fund to assist with the procurement of the injection.
“The exorbitant cost of the medication presents a formidable challenge for the family to access this crucial treatment. While the drug’s price itself is overwhelming, the added import taxes substantially increase the financial burden. Understanding the dire need to support young Maurya, I earnestly request your benevolent intervention in waiving off the import duty on the medicine and provision of financial aid under PM CARES Fund,” the letter stated.
