Parents of children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare disease, say the budget is mere eyewash. The custom duty exemption has existed for years, offering no real relief. The drugs are so expensive, costing crores, that only a few can afford them. Instead, the government should have given a GST exemption on SMA type 1 drugs available domestically, easing the financial burden but failed to address the struggles of SMA children and parents.

mid-day has carried numerous articles highlighting the plight of parents, who are helpless and cannot afford the expensive drugs. In its recent article ‘Two-year-old has only 15 days of medicines left’, mid-day highlighted the plight of the parents, who were left in limbo following the Supreme Court's stay on a Delhi HC order allowing government aid.