Free Risdiplam for SMA patients to be made available in all districts

The government will make Risdiplam medicine for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) available through Medical colleges in all districts, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has announced. The Additional Chief Secretary (Health) has been entrusted with the task of coordinating the initiative, the Minister said in a statement here on Saturday.

Decentralised distribution of Risdiplam will ensure easier access to treatment and continuity of care, while providing relief to patients and their families. The government seeks to establish a new model of healthcare which will address the needs of all families affected by the disease, he said.

At present, free medication is distributed only through the SMA clinics at the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Government Medical colleges. Travelling long distances to secure the drug has been placing considerable distress and financial burden on parents of SMA-afflicted children.

Taking these hardships of families into account, the government has decided to make the medication available through the Paediatrics departments of all Medical colleges, Mr. Muraleedharan said. Free medication is currently available only for patients up to 12 years of age.

The government has also initiated steps to remove the age restriction and extend the benefit to all eligible patients, irrespective of age, the Minister said. The government intends to develop the decentralised care model being introduced for SMA into a family-centred healthcare system that could eventually benefit patients with other rare diseases and children with chronic illnesses, he added.