As part of its centenary celebrations, BYL Nair Hospital — one of the four medical colleges run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — will launch a new drug to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disease affecting the central nervous system. The launch will be one of the several community based initiatives Nair Hospital have undertaken as part of the celebrations, including the launch of genome sequencing for Covid-19.

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of Nair Hospital, said, “It is for the first time that we are getting this injection in India. We are importing it from USA and it will be given to selected children. The disorder encompasses a group of inherited progressive, degenerative, neuromuscular disorders, because of which children die at a young age. It happens due to respiratory failure or they become wheelchair-bound for life,” said Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of Nair Hospital.