It took a three-year fight, but at last Gems will pay for mom’s vital drug

A Knysna mother has won a three-year battle with the Government Employee Medical Scheme (Gems), which has finally agreed to pay for her R3.6m-a-year enzyme replacement therapy.

Irene Sabbat, 36, suffers from Gaucher disease. She is missing an enzyme that breaks down waste in her body, and the disease can cause organ damage, bone pain, fatigue and problems with platelets in the blood.

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