Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah appeals to PM Modi for lifesaving aid for toddler battling rare disease
Bengaluru, Nov 1: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive import taxes on injection named 'Zolgensma', and provide financial assistance to a 15-month-old boy, who has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease.
The Chief Minister has written to Modi in this regard, pointing at the financial challenge faced by the family in procuring the expensive Rs 17.5 crore single-dose injection, required for their child's treatment.
"I am reaching out with a pressing matter concerning a young child from our state. A 15-month-old boy named Maurya, from Karnataka is battling a severe condition. Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Our medical community has informed us of a potential cure in the form of an injection named Zolgensma," Siddaramaiah said in a letter.
Noting that the exorbitant cost of this single-dose medication stands at approximately Rs.17.5 crore presenting a formidable challenge for the family to access this crucial treatment, he said, "while the drug's price itself is overwhelming, the added import taxes substantially increase the financial burden, making the acquisition of this life saving medication nearly unattainable for them."
The letter dated October 27, was posted by the Chief Minister's Office on 'X' on Wednesday.
Requesting Modi to direct the Ministry of Finance to waive the import taxes on Zolgensma required for the child's treatment, Siddaramaiah also asked him to consider allocating monetary support from the PM CARES Fund to assist with the procurement of the injection.
"Such compassionate steps will significantly alleviate the financial burden on the child's family, reflecting our nation's commitment to championing the health and well-being of its youngest citizens," he said.
"While I recognise the unique nature of this plea. I genuinely believe that the gravity of the situation and the life of a young child hanging in the balance warrant our collective action and support. I am confident that with your kind intervention, we can extend our collective support and offer a ray of hope to young Maurya and his family," he added.
ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರೇ,
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 1, 2023
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ 15 ತಿಂಗಳ ಮೌರ್ಯ ಎಂಬ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಕಂದ 'ಸ್ಪೈನಲ್ ಮಸ್ಕ್ಯುಲರ್ ಅಟ್ರೋಪಿ' ಎಂಬ ಅಪರೂಪದ ಕಾಯಿಲೆಯಿಂದ ಬಳಲುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಈ ಮಗುವಿನ ಖಾಯಿಲೆಯನ್ನು ಗುಣಪಡಿಸಬಹುದಾದ ಝೋಲ್ಗೆನ್ಸ್ಮ ಎಂಬ ಚುಚ್ಚುಮದ್ದನ್ನು ವಿದೇಶದಿಂದ ಆಮದು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಅದರ ಬೆಲೆ ರೂ. 17.5 ಕೋಟಿ ಇದೆ. ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು… pic.twitter.com/1mW5o1Dw99
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Cong performed better in Kerala, anti-incumbency trends influenced WB, TN: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the Congress had largely met or exceeded expectations in several States, even as results in some regions reflected shifting voter sentiments.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the party accepted the mandate in Assam while performing better than anticipated in Kerala.
He also pointed to possible anti-incumbency trends influencing outcomes in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
“In Assam, we got the expected result, and we accept the people’s mandate. In Kerala, we have won more seats than expected. We anticipated around 76 to 80, but we have gone up to around 95,” Siddaramaiah said.
In West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, there may have been an anti-incumbency trend, and that could have influenced the results, he added.
Siddaramaiah also extended his congratulations to a new political entrant in Tamil Nadu, noting the emergence of a different electoral dynamic in the State.
“I congratulate the new entrant who has achieved success there,” he added.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said electoral outcomes in some States had diverged from the party’s internal assessments, reflecting evolving voter expectations.
“We expected a certain trend, but the results have been different. Political reading was wrong in some places,” he said.
“People were looking for change in some States, and that has been reflected in the results,” Shivakumar, who is also the Congress Karnataka unit president, said.
Referring to Kerala, he said the Congress-led alliance had benefited from public sentiment.
“There was already an expectation based on local body elections, and people had shown confidence in us. That has translated into a strong result,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
On Tamil Nadu, he acknowledged that the scale of political shift had come as a surprise.
“We expected to secure around 30 to 40 per cent of the vote share, but such a major shift was not anticipated. It shows that voter expectations were different,” he said.
Shivakumar added that electoral outcomes underscored the need for better political assessment in future.
“We have to understand these changes carefully. Political reading cannot go wrong like this,” he said.
