Litchi not only to be blamed for kids death: Doctor

For the last fortnight, SKMCH Medical Superintendent Dr SK Shahi has maintained his cool, never losing temper even when hordes of angry parents shouted at him or some top officials from the state capital yelled at him. Dr Shahi took some time off from his hectic schedule at the hospital to explain it to Deccan Herald that litchi, the luscious fruit, was not the only reason behind the death of so many children.

What exactly is the reason behind so many deaths?

Honestly speaking, there is no one such conclusion as opinions have varied from doctors to experts. But one thing is for sure – litchi is not the only reason behind the death of kids.

But it has been said that several children, mostly from extremely poor families in rural areas, died after consuming litchi

If it was so, then kids from urban areas, who too have been consuming it, should have made similar complaints. (In the last 20 years, only four cases of AES have been reported from urban areas). In fact, litchi, the famous fruit produced in Muzaffarpur, is being exported to all the countries, besides, offshores. There is no such complaint against the fruit.

Then where lies the problem?

The problem lies with poverty and malnourishment. Most of the kids who have died were malnourished. Many of them belonged to such poor families that they had nothing to eat. So, such children would roam around in litchi orchards, pluck the fruit and consume it in empty stomach, skipping dinner. This leads to a drastic drop in their blood sugar.

So, what happens in such circumstances?

Consuming litchi on an empty stomach leads to hypoglycemia (deficiency of glucose and sugar in the bloodstream).

Kindly elaborate…

In a sudden fall of glucose, the body uses its glucose reserves. Malnourished kids have no such reserves in their body. Thus those who are administered artificial sugar can be saved. Timely medication is important, as any delay can prove fatal.