Delhi HC Orders the State to Foot the Bill for Rare Disease Treatment

In a remarkable moment for Indian jurisprudence, Manmohan J. of the Delhi High Court recently ordered the Govt. of NCT and the AIIMS (in Mohd. Ahmed v. Union of India) to provide a child suffering from Gaucher disease (a rare disease) Enzyme Replacement Treatment which costs about Rs. 6-7 lakh a month, free of cost. The court goes on to hold, in no mixed terms that the defence that the State’s funds were insufficient to meet such expenses would not...