Goat milk selling for Rs 500/ltr, doctors say not scientific cure for dengue

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 27

While dengue cases are at an all-time high in Punjab, all unscientific claims and remedies are being offered to patients. From goat milk being sold up to Rs 500 a litre (normal price Rs 40 litre) to papya leaves, giloy juice and kiwi fruit, all such claims are being sold as a magic remedy to increase the platelet count.

So far, Punjab has reported around 14,500 cases and over 50 deaths, which is the worst-ever dengue toll in the state. Taking advantage of the situation, goat farmers and traders are earning rich dividends. Gurjit Singh, a farmer from Burj Hari village in Mansa, says in normal days, the goat milk sells for around Rs 50 a litre but these days, people are paying even Rs 250 for it.

Charan Singh, a farmer from Sondhewal village in Patiala, said the demand was huge and they were getting minimum Rs 100 a litre.

Varun Sharma, a Mohali-based businessman, launched his own brand of packaged goat milk called ‘Bakriwala’. A 300 ml bottle is available for Rs 150. “I had launched the product around two months back as a healthy milk option. Now, the demand has grown 50 times with what we had started. But our intention was not to sell it as a remedy to fever as goat milk is not scientifically proven to help in dengue cure,” he said.

Dr Ranvir Sharma, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, said science did not support the claim that goat milk could be helpful in dengue.