CBSE topper succumbs to tuberculosis

Mumbai: Tuberculosis claimed the life of a CBSE topper, Shreeram Radhakrishnan, 19, who had secured admission in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai. Shreeram could not attend a single class because of his illness.

Shreeram had scored 97.06 per cent in the Grade 12 CBSE exams in 2011 in the science stream and an all-India ranking of 224 in the IIT-Joint Entrance Exams.

For a boy who had nurtured dreams of becoming an IITian and an engineer, Shreeram could not attend even one lecture at the prestigious college after being diagnosed with TB in June last year. A month later, medical tests showed he had MDR-TB (multi-drug resistant tuberculosis).

A student of Apeejay School, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Shreeram could not enjoy his success in the CBSE exams since he was running a high fever at that time. By August last year, he suffered his first meningitis attack and by March this year, he went into a semi-conscious state undergoing treatment at the Hinduja Hospital for the last 18 months.

The family continued to hope for his recovery despite his serious condition since he had showed signs of recovery on several occasions.

Condition worsened

On Friday, Shreeram was discharged and came home, with the family hoping that his health would improve. However on Monday, his condition worsened and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he passed away the same day.

Even as his parents R Radhakrishnan and Lalitha are coming to terms with the loss, his sister Sandhya told Gulf News: “MDR occurs if a person does not complete his/her course [of medicine] properly. In my brother’s case, we completed the course. It must have originated from someone who did not complete the course properly. The bacteria must have mutated and that is how he got it.”

The grief, however, did not deter the family from appreciating the “extremely good care given to Shreeram by the doctors and staff at Hinduja.”

Shreeram’s untimely death is a loss to his schoolmates and friends. His school principal Rakesh Joshi said: “The city has lost an intelligent student. Shreeram brought not one but several laurels for the school.”

He was awarded the Homi Bhabha Bal Vyagyanik (child scientist), was a topper at the National Talent Search Examination and was awarded incentives under the Dhirubhai Ambani Merit Award Scheme.

Tribute

Remembering the young lad, one of his friends wrote a tribute: “You had the best brain and kindest heart. We all looked upon you as an idol and our parents wanted us to be like you. Your loss will be deeply mourned by all APJites and others alike.”

With his death, the focus has returned to the increasing number of MDR-TB cases in Mumbai.

A city doctor, Dr Sanjeev Mehta, chest specialist, told Gulf News: “At times, complications arise and the TB can go to the brain. These cases are rare and most of the time TB and MDR-TB are treatable. What is important is that treatment should start in time from qualified specialists.”