Jaipur, Dec 14 (IANS): Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on Tuesday raised the demand for free treatment for muscular atrophy in the Lok Sabha.

Muscular atrophy is a progressive disease under which the parts of the human body gradually stop functioning.

As the disease aggravates, there comes a time when the patient cannot even drink water, he said, adding that injections worth Rs 16 crore have to be imported from abroad to treat the disease.

The MP demanded that such patients should be treated for free so that the poor victims can get treated.

He also presented the copy of a petition filed in the Delhi High Court and drew the attention of the Union Health Minister towards the discrepancy in the reply presented in the matter in the government figures.

Beniwal also demanded to promote research in India for the treatment of such diseases so that medicines can be manufactured in India too.

The Nagaur MP also apprised the government about the problem of farmers in many states, including Rajasthan, due to acute shortage of water and further demanded to give GI tag to Nagori Pan Methi while including it under the category of spices.