Dengue surge increases demand for goat milk, papaya leaves and kiwis
Kin of dengue patients are searching and contacting shepherds and those who have goats for the milk which is believed to speed up the ability of the body to make platelets which usually plummet alarmingly in patients after the infection. Although this property of goat’s milk has no medical approval, doctors are not restricting patients from consuming goat’s milk for early recovery.
Rarely in demand, the goat’s milk has suddenly become a much sought after item in Sangam city these days due to the rise in dengue cases.
Kin of dengue patients are searching and contacting shepherds and those who have goats for the milk which is believed to speed up the ability of the body to make platelets which usually plummet alarmingly in patients after the infection. Although this property of goat’s milk has no medical approval, doctors are not restricting patients from consuming goat’s milk for early recovery.
In the district, very few persons are involved in rearing goats as its milk is not much in demand. Taking advantage of the heavy demand the, goat milk prices are soaring high.
Not only it has become hard to find it, those who have goats are also selling it in black by storing it and mixing it with water, some attendants of patients claim. Depending on the urgency of the situation, goat’s milk can be fetched for ₹200 to ₹600 per litre. Those in need of it are even venturing out of the city limits to rural areas in the hope of getting it.
Besides goat’s milk, kiwi fruit and papaya leaves are also in great demand as they too are believed to increase platelet count in dengue patients. Kiwi is being sold for ₹100 to ₹150 a pair depending on their quality. People are also frantically searching for papaya leaves and many of the trees have been stripped off their leaves.
In Prayagraj, 502 cases of dengue have been reported this year including 39 detected just on Monday.
Though 440 of these patients have recovered, the district still has 62 active cases including 47 admitted in different hospitals for treatment and another 15 undergoing treatment at their respective homes.
However, District Ayurvedic Officer Dr Sharda Prasad said there is no medical evidence that goat’s milk increases platelets but it is helping in recovery of dengue patients. Dr Abdullah Ansari of Unani Medical College says there are no studies on goat’s milk, papaya leaves etc which could prove that they help in increasing platelets.
In practice they may help in building antibodies which help in recovery of dengue patients. Many dengue patients have shown signs of recovery after consumption of goat milk, he added.
Kin of Mohd Amir were worried when he was diagnosed with dengue around a week back. The situation became alarming when his platelet count decreased below 20,000. The family launched a hunt for goat’s milk and finally they managed to arrange half a litre of it for daily consumption. They were lucky to find it for ₹300 per litre. The platelet count of Amir after regular consumption of milk has increased to 32,000, his kin claimed.
Likewise, Saurabh Gupta, a kin of a dengue patient said, after searching for two days, he found goat’s milk at a dairy where a man had around half a dozen goats. He sold it to me in small quantities for a week as there were others in need as well, he added.
“I went to a man who was grazing goats near Parade Ground and asked him for goat’s milk. The man after much bargaining agreed to give it for ₹150 per 250 ml every day. Although the price was high, I agreed to take it as there was no other option,” said Naveen whose brother is suffering from dengue and is admitted to a hospital.
Mustaqeem, an aged man in old city area who has a few goats said that goats are only reared by persons in city areas who supply it for their meat in goat market or raise them to be sold during festival of Eid-ul-Azha. Goat milk is rarely in demand all the year round and is only consumed by few. I gave goat milk to many persons free of cost when they approached me recently, he claimed.
