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Written By: Agencies | Updated : July 27, 2014 12:46 PM IST
Gaucher, a hereditary disease caused due to the deficiency of an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase. In this disease the patient suffers from symptoms like bruising, fatigue, anaemia, low blood platelet count and enlargement of the liver and spleen due to the accumulation of lipid cells around certain organs. Known as an extremely rare condition, India has a fairly large number of people suffering from the disease. In an attempt to highlight the plight of these patients, about a 100 Gaucher patients and their family members gathered outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi, demanding government help in curing the genetic disease.
Policemen deployed outside the house asked them to disperse as the place falls under the high security area. They were later allowed to go to Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. 'We gathered here to submit a memorandum, demanding government support in curing this genetic disease, which causes mental disorder among children from birth,' Manjeet Singh, a member of Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society (LSDSS), an NGO, told IANS.
Gaucher disease, which affects about 10,000 people worldwide, and has at least 500 registered patients across India, is an inherited genetic condition that halts the mental and physical growth of children. 'My five-year-old son developed this disease since birth. We noticed the problem when he was two years old. He never walks and his growth has also halted,' said Neha, a resident of Ghaziabad.
Source: IANS
Image: Getty Image
