The Madhya Pradesh High Court has intervened to help a three-year-old Indore girl suffering from a life-threatening genetic disorder secure the final portion of funding required for her treatment, asking both the Central and state governments to explore avenues for financial assistance.
Hearing a petition on behalf of the child, Anika Sharma, the high court’s Indore bench on Monday addressed the remaining two crore rupee funding gap for her therapy, which carries a total cost of 9.50 crore rupees. Justice Subodh Abhyankar directed the state government to determine if it can offer financial aid and ordered the Central government to coordinate directly with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi to expedite a response before the next scheduled hearing on June 30.
The girl’s family and local community members have spent seven months campaigning to raise funds for the therapy, successfully accumulating 7.50 crore rupees. This sum includes 50 lakh rupees previously approved by the Central government, leaving the family two crore rupees short of the total required amount.
Urgent Medical Intervention Required
The child’s father, Praveen Sharma, stated that his daughter’s condition is continuously worsening. He warned that her life could be in danger in the coming days if she does not receive the necessary medication soon.
The critical treatment involves an injection that must be imported from the United States and administered to the toddler at AIIMS in New Delhi.
The girl suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. The condition causes a progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, which prevents the brain from communicating with voluntary muscles. This lack of connection leads to muscle weakness and wasting, creating significant difficulties with basic movements, crawling, walking, swallowing, and breathing.
Court Directs Additional Solicitor General to AIIMS
During Monday’s proceedings, Central government counsel Anuj Bhargava informed the court that he had not received instructions from AIIMS New Delhi and was advised that he could not represent the institute in this matter.
To resolve the administrative hurdle, Justice Abhyankar instructed Additional Solicitor General Sunil Jain to obtain the necessary instructions from AIIMS New Delhi and submit a brief response to the court. The bench also asked the advocate representing the Madhya Pradesh government to seek instructions on whether the state can contribute financial assistance to support the young petitioner.
