Delhi High Court Orders Release of Rs 10 Crore for Rare Disease Treatment

The Delhi High Court has ordered the Centre to release Rs 10 crore to AIIMS Delhi for the ongoing treatment of 18 children with rare diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Gaucher disease. Justice Prathiba M Singh emphasized that discontinuing treatment would severely affect the children's health and living conditions, mandating that the funds be disbursed within three working days. If the Centre fails to comply, the joint secretary of the Union health ministry must appear in court. The court dismissed the Centre's request to recall its previous order, which cited budget constraints and funding requests from other centres. Despite these concerns, the court recognized AIIMS as a leading center for rare disease treatment and asserted its accountability for the funds. The matter is set for further hearing on October 3.