A senior official in the United Kingdom called for health warnings on protein drinks after the death of a 16-year-old Indian-origin boy, even as his family’s lawyer told the press that the case demonstrated ‘a woeful gap’ between paediatric and adult care.
Rohan Godhania, a British-Indian from London, fell ill after drinking a protein shake on August 15, 2020. He died three days later at West Middlesex Hospital after he suffered 'irreversible brain damage'.
Soon after his death, his organs were donated before the hospital could identify the cause of his illness.
It was later identified that Rohan died from the rare disease ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, a genetic disorder that causes ammonia to build up in the blood.
The link was identified by an independent expert after the recipient of Rohan's organs was hospitalised with similar symptoms of seizures.
The boy's father had bought his son the drink to help him build muscle – as his son was 'quite skinny', reported Metro.
A post-mortem examination could not initially identify the boy's cause of death from a rare disease, BBC reported.
Sarah Kingsley Fried, who is representing the Godhania family at the inquest, told the press that the case demonstrated ‘a woeful gap’ between paediatric and adult care and that Rohan would likely have received a correct diagnosis had he fallen ill on a Monday, according to the law firm Field Fisher.
The inquest heard that Rohan was not seen by a neurologist at the hospital because none were on duty over the weekend.
Part of the ongoing investigation is also that Rohan should have been transferred to Charing Cross. Which has a dedicated neurology and neurosurgery departments but that the hospital could not take him because he was a paediatric patient rather than an adult. He was therefore denied access to vital emergency treatment due to his age.
Media outlets highlighted that the disease prevents the breakdown of ammonia, causing it to build up to lethal levels in the bloodstream. And it can also be triggered by a protein load.
Coroner Tom Osborne said, "Concerning these protein drinks, my preliminary view about them is that I ought to write to one of the regulatory authorities that some sort of warning ought to be put on the packaging of these drinks because, although OTC is a rare condition, it can have harmful effects if someone drinks [one] and it causes a protein spike."
