State govt. brings expensive GBS therapy under Ayushman Bharat–Arogya Karnataka scheme

The State government will extend financial protection to patients suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological condition that often requires expensive treatment, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday.

GBS patients typically require Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy, considered the most critical but among the costliest components of treatment. The therapy has now been brought under the Ayushman Bharat–Arogya Karnataka (AB-PMJAY–CM’s ArK) scheme through a circular issued by the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST).

Under the revised package, the scheme will now cover up to ₹2 lakh per patient for IVIG therapy. The price of the drug has been fixed at ₹2,000 per gram, with dosage to be calculated based on patient weight.

To ensure transparency and prevent misuse, the government has made it mandatory for hospitals to upload details of each treatment session, including photographs of the IVIG vials, batch numbers, patient identifiers, and a dosage sheet certified by the treating physician.

The benefit will be available across all government hospitals and empanelled private hospitals in the State.