Thalidomide Babies Receive a Share of the £14.2 Million Fund

The Scottish Government has announced that the 58 known Thalidomide survivors in Scotland will begin to receive a share of the £14.2 million fund over the next ten years. This fund will be a great assistance in paying for their healthcare and living costs.

The funds will be given to them as per their need, evaluated by the THALIDOMIDE trust.

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To give a bit of the background of Thalidomide, this medicine was prescribed to expectant mothers between 1958 and 1961 as a way to reduce morning sickness and insomnia.

Thalidomide was then completely taken off the shelf after thousands of babies suffered limb deformities at birth.

Scottish health secretary Alex Neil said: “This £14.2m is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to assisting the ageing thalidomide generation who are facing rising care bills. We know that the survivors of thalidomide have faced decades of coping with the disabilities caused by the drug. This means that as they age, they are more likely to need assistance to continue to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, and this funding will help them to do that.”

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Dr Martin Johnson, director at the Thalidomide Trust, said: “This new grant is crucial in helping thalidomide survivors cope with the challenges they face. Each survivor is individual, and each knows best the type of help. The money will be assigned to them to spend at their own discretion.”

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Source-Medindia

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