Biplab Deb Thanks Nadda for Support to SMA-Affected Child
Aug 18, 2026
Tripura Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb has thanked Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda for intervening in the case of a child, Mansari Chowdhury, suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and initiating steps to facilitate advanced medical treatment.
Deb had earlier written to Nadda seeking financial and medical assistance for the child. In a letter dated August 12, 2026, Nadda informed the Tripura MP that the Union Health Ministry is implementing the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021, which provides financial support of up to Rs 50 lakh per patient for treatment of identified rare diseases at designated Centres of Excellence (CoEs).
According to the letter, RIMS Imphal, Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, and IPGMER Kolkata are among the designated Centres of Excellence serving patients from the eastern and northeastern regions.
Nadda also said that a Digital Portal for Crowdfunding and Voluntary Donations for Patients of Rare Diseases has been launched to facilitate financial assistance for high-cost treatment.
The Union Minister further informed Deb that the child's father has been advised to get the patient evaluated at the nearest Centre of Excellence or any other designated CoE. The Nodal Officer for Rare Diseases at AIIMS, New Delhi, has also been requested to facilitate the patient's case. Further assistance, the letter said, would be considered on the recommendation of the concerned Rare Disease Committee.
Expressing his gratitude, Biplab Kumar Deb thanked Nadda for his guidance and positive intervention, saying the Union Minister's initiative would provide crucial support in the child's fight against the rare and serious disease.
