The High Court has ordered that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) be removed for a drug called Risdiplam, imported for treating Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), for the mother of a three-year-old child suffering from this condition. This drug is crucial for the child’s treatment and costs Rs 6.07 lakh per bottle.

The child’s mother, from Mavelikkara, filed a petition in the High Court requesting an exemption from the 12% GST (Rs 65,000) added to the price of each bottle of Risdiplam, which is imported from Switzerland. She argued that the treatment required several bottles of the medication, making it financially overwhelming for someone in her position. Despite her plea for a GST exemption on Risdiplam to the Union finance minister, aimed at easing her financial burden, there had been no relief granted. Consequently, she sought the High Court’s intervention for an exemption on both future and past purchases of the medication and for a refund of GST already paid on the drug from the Kerala GST department.

Justice P. Gopinath, in addressing the petition, ruled that the petitioner should be able to buy Risdiplam (also known as Evrysdi) without being charged GST. The court mentioned that this decision was temporary and that the drug’s suppliers could request further instructions or changes from the court if they encountered any issues providing the medication to the petitioner without the GST.

Source from: https://www.a2ztaxcorp.com/high-court-orders-gst-waiver-on-lifesaving-sma-drug-for-childs-treatment