AAP MP Urges Govt to Cut SMA Drug Cost, GST

AAP MP Sanjay Singh urged the Rajya Sabha to address the high cost and unavailability of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatments, highlighting the GST burden on a Rs 17 crore injection. He called for affordable medicine and lower tax rates during the Zero Hour session.

In a heartfelt appeal during the Upper House's Zero Hour, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh urged the government to address the dire situation facing hundreds of children suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in India. Singh pointed out the exorbitant cost of the SMA treatment injection, priced at Rs 17 crore, and the added burden of GST, making it unaffordable for many families.

Singh emphasized the urgent need for affordable treatment options, calling attention to the government's role in reducing tax rates and ensuring the availability of necessary medicines. 'Hundreds of children are losing their lives due to lack of treatment, unavailability of medicines, heavy tax rates, and extremely expensive drugs,' Singh lamented.

Referencing a statement from 2022 by then Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, Singh noted that the Department of Revenue and Ministry of Finance had waived certain duties on personally imported drugs, while the Department of Pharmaceuticals launched a Production Linked Incentive Scheme to boost domestic manufacturing, including for orphan drugs. Singh stressed the need for continued efforts and immediate action to alleviate the plight of those affected by SMA.

(With inputs from agencies.)