Maharashtra: Toddler having genetic disorder gets Rs 16 crore injection free from US firm
Nashik: The upcoming second birthday of Shivraj Daware, who hails from Nashik in Maharashtra, will be very special for his parents who claimed that the toddler, suffering from a rare genetic disorder, has become the first such patient from India to be given a Rs 16 crore life-saving injection by a US firm for free after winning a lucky draw.
Shivraj, born on August 8, 2019, is suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder.
The injection (Zolgensma a gene replacement therapy) manufactured by a US-based company is the most effective drug for such patients, according to doctors.
For Shivraj's father Vishal Daware and mother Kiran, who come from a middle-class background, the news of the rare disorder and the huge cost of injection came as a double whammy, but they didn't lose hope.
After the initial diagnosis, Shivraj was referred for treatment to Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai where neurologist Dr Brajesh Udani suggested that Zolgensma injection could save Shivraj's life, Vishal Daware recalled while speaking to PTI.
But, arranging the huge amount was impossible for Shivraj's father, who runs a photocopy shop in Nashik.
Dr Udani then suggested the family apply for a lottery to be brought out by the US-based firm for conducting clinical trials, through which the family could get the injection for free if lucky, the child's father said.
On December 25, 2020, Shivraj was selected by the company in the lucky draw to get the injection. On January 19, 2021, he was administered the injection at the Hinduja Hospital.
SMA 1 is a genetic disorder. One out of 10,000 children gets affected by the disorder. It slows down the movement of the child and muscles stop working. Later, it leads to the death of the child," said Dr Ramant Patil who treated Shivraj earlier.
Unlike Shivraj, one-year-old Vedika Shinde, a Pune resident who was also suffering from SMA Type 1, wasn't lucky.
She died on Sunday evening, nearly two months after taking the same injection.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
