The High Court now wants the government to think about ways to provide free essential medicines to the poor.
The matter came up in the court of Justice Rajiv Shakdher while hearing a plea filed on behalf of a 13-year old girl suffering from Turner Syndrome. Her father, a tailor who earns nearly Rs.7,500 per month, cannot afford the treatment.
‘Beyond means’
The plea was for directions to be issued to the Delhi Government and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Hospital to allow her uninterrupted treatment free of cost. The girl’s lawyer, Ashok Agarwal, told the court that the injections required for the girl were beyond the means of her father’s paltry earnings.
“If the growth hormone is not given, the girl may have stunted growth. Patients suffering from Turner Syndrome are prone to developing heart diseases, kidney deformities, and menstrual and reproductive irregularities,” says the petition. The girl has been under treatment for over two years.
‘Formulate schemes’
“Get an appropriate instruction to formulate schemes to enable people lacking financial wherewithal to get essential drugs,” directed the court.
This is not the first time the issue has been raised in the court.
Earlier too, the Delhi government had stated that it had allocated 10 per cent of its budget to health, the highest in the country.
The girl’s lawyer told the court that the injections required for her were beyond the means of her father’s paltry earnings
