Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday announced a monthly pension of Rs 2,750 to patients suffering from 55 rare diseases including Pompe Disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Speaking at the inauguration of 46 health institutions in 17 districts including 275-bedded Mukand Lal District Civil Hospital at Yamunanagar during the state-level programme at Yamunanagar, the chief minister pointed out that presently the state government is giving pension benefits to thalassemia, hemophilia, stage-III, and IV cancer patients.

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Now, 55 rare diseases have also been added to this list and the government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 25 crore to provide the announced financial assistance, he added.

Khattar said with this announcement, about 8,000 patients will be able to get the financial benefits. He said there are 3,000 patients suffering from Thalassemia and Hemophilia, 4000 stage-III, IV cancer patients and about 1000 patients suffering from 55 other rare diseases, who will now receive the pension.

“These inaugurations and the financial assistance announced for the patients would certainly play a pivotal role in further strengthening the health infrastructure along with providing the best health care facilities to every citizen,” he added.

The CM said according to the WHO norms, the strength of doctors in Haryana should be 28,000, but at present the strength is 13,000 including government and private.

“When our government was formed in 2014, the number of MBBS seats in Haryana was only 750. With the opening of new medical colleges, now these seats have become 1900. At present, seven medical colleges are either under construction or have been announced. After their construction, the number of MBBS will increase to more than 3000,” he said.

Khattar said Ayushman Yojana, under which poor and needy families get a health insurance facility of Rs Five lakh, about 15.5 lakh families in Haryana have received benefits.

“However, extending the scope of this scheme, we have implemented CHIRAYU Haryana Yojana. Today, about 29.5 lakh families of the state are getting benefits of this scheme. Apart from this, Nirogi Haryana Yojana has also been made to provide health check-ups for citizens. Under this, 25 types of tests are done. So far, about 2 lakh citizens have been tested. Our target is to cover 1.25 crore population,” the CM added.