The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to the central and Delhi governments on a plea by a 13-year-old girl, suffering from Turner's Syndrome, seeking continuous and uninterrupted treatment free of cost.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, seeking a response from the union health ministry and the Delhi government by Nov 27, also asked the government and Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Hospital to continue the treatment of the girl, Afreen Ansari.
Afreen, a class 7 student, was diagnosed with the syndrome, which affects growth and leaves the victim prone to various diseases, over two years ago and has been under treatment since then.
The plea said that she was examined by the doctors at the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Hospital and her parents were told that she requires growth hormone therapy, for which she has to be given growth hormone injections, which cost around Rs.15,000 per month, over a period of three to four years.
Afreen's father, who works as a tailor in Trilokpuri area of east Delhi, hardly earns around Rs.7,500 per month and has no means to purchase the prescribed injections, argued advocate Ashok Agarwal appearing for the girl.
Agarwal said that Afreen's father got Rs.50,000 from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and the treatment started in May, but his finances can sustain the treatment only till the end of August.
The treatment of the girl will be stopped from September as the family has no money and the hospital has also denied her further treatment, the lawyer contended.
"If the growth hormone is not given, the girl may have stunted growth. Patients suffering from Turner's Syndrome are prone to developing heart diseases, kidney deformities and menstrual and reproductive irregularities," the plea added.