Parents of Children with Nanism, Complain about the Lack of Government Support

On Wednesday, a parent group of children with nanism (stunting) held a press conference at the Media Center, complaining the lack of government support in their treatment. The drug necessary for treatment is imported, but the state does not allocate funds for their purchase.

Dilbar Akhmedova, a parent, said that a box of medicine, enough for 15 days, costs 400 manat.  The woman said in order to buy the drug she has to sell her house.  She goes to Iran to buy drugs. While, in Russia, Georgia and Armenia, these drugs are distributed free of charge.

A citizen, Abdullayeva Maryam, said that her granddaughter is sick, and she has appealed four times to the Health Ministry and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for help, but to no avail.

Eighteen year old, Mirali Mirzoyev said that he was ashamed of his height and went to school at the age of 10.

Commenting on the problem to Turan, the country's chief pediatrician and Director of the Institute of Pediatrics, Nasib Guliyev, says the Ministry of Health provides free drugs for 166 aliments. According to him, parents should contact the clinic to find out whether the drugs are included in the list for children. However, Guliyev said it is impossible to treat nanism with drugs. Medication helps to some extent, but only in some forms of nanism.

* According to Wikipedia, nanism is a pathological condition characterized by abnormal short stature (less than 130 cm in men and less than 120 cm in women). Dwarfism is one symptoms of a genetic growth disorder, as well as a symptom of endocrine and other diseases. —16C06—