Lokesh’s Project Punarvika: Who Benefits And How?

Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh has announced a new initiative called “Project Punarvika,” inspired by the successful treatment of a young child suffering from a rare genetic disease.

The project is named after Punarvika, a one-and-a-half-year-old girl from Kurnool who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA Type-1), a life-threatening condition. Her treatment required a gene therapy injection costing around ₹16 crore.

While donors from across the country contributed nearly ₹10 crore, Lokesh stepped in to arrange the remaining ₹6 crore. He also played a key role in facilitating the import of the life-saving Zolgensma injection from abroad.

The treatment was successfully administered at Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Hyderabad. Lokesh personally visited the hospital, interacted with doctors to understand the process, and later met the child’s family to offer support.

Calling this a turning point, Lokesh said “Project Punarvika” is aimed at helping more children suffering from rare diseases like SMA. Instead of handling cases individually, the focus now is on building a structured system that can support many families.

As part of this initiative, the government will explore partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies to bring down the cost of such high-value treatments. He also spoke about working closely with doctors and experts to develop long-term solutions.

Lokesh added that efforts will be made to get support from the central government as well, so that more children can access treatment without financial barriers.

He described saving Punarvika’s life not just as help, but as a responsibility. He also acknowledged the collective effort, saying lakhs of people came forward to support the child.

With Project Punarvika, the focus now shifts from one case to building a system that can help many more children in the future.