City resident provides free goat milk to help dengue patients, doc says no scientific proof

Prayagraj: With the city witnessing increasing numbers of Dengue cases and as per common man’s belief that goat’s milk is supposedly effective in bringing up the blood platelet count, the owners of these animals have started to hike prices of goat milk upto Rs 500 per litre.
However, the city also has some good samaritans like Sanjay Saran alias Guddu Bhai, a resident of Chatham Lines of Prayagraj, who is providing free goat milk to around 50 persons every morning.
The district has recorded 891 dengue cases so far out of which, 643 were reported in urban pockets, while the rest 248 in rural areas.
Earlier, the businessman used to run a tea-shop on the road leading to Iswar Saran Degree College (ISDC), but the pandemic forced him to close the shop and he is barely able to meet ends meet. However, despite facing the challenge, he refrains from charging any money for the milk of his goats which is given to a number of denizens of the Sangam city who visit his house every morning to collect around 100 millilitres (ml) of goat milk, believing that consuming the same would improve the patient’s blood platelet count.
“Although, earlier I used to have around 100 goats, but now the numbers have come down to just seven. But since all of them are yielding milk and people believe that goat milk helps fight dengue and the falling platelet count, I thought of donating the same to those who need it. Although, I don’t ask for money but there are few, among the large number of people who come daily to get the milk, who do give some money which I keep it for the fodder of my goats,” said Guddu.
It’s been over two months that Guddu has been providing around 100-150ml of milk to 50-60 people every day. But as the outbreak of the disease is getting worse in the city, more and more people come to his house.
However, the medico of the city has a different perceptive in terms of consuming goat milk in respect to its benefits for dengue patients.
“As far as the standard protocol or the practice goes, in terms of treating dengue patients, there is no proof that goat’s milk has any benefits in increasing the platelet count. Moreover, we never recommend consuming milk without boiling it and people should refrain from the same,” said associate professor at MLN Medical College and eminent physician of the city, Dr Manoj Mathur.