Superstitions continue in Odisha, Child branded with hot iron again
JEYPORE: Superstition related to branding of children to cure them of common ailments refuses to stop. A seven-month old girl child was branded with hot iron rod in Valuguda village under Jeypore block by a dasari (village quack). The baby, Ranjita, was admitted to Jeypore Hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday.
Ranjita had developed measles a week back and her parents took her to the quack, who branded her.
After this, her condition began deteriorating and locals rushed her to Jeypore Hospital on Tuesday. She has been admitted to the ICU in child care unit. The treating doctor, Durga Patra, said the girl has developed several infections after being branded.
Incidents of children being branded with hot iron by traditional healers are not new in Odisha.
Child branding cases are common in the tribal-dominated district of Nabarangpur where at least eight such cases have been reported this year. In most of the cases, the newborns were suffering from bloated stomach and pain.
The tribals, who have more faith in quacks than medical practitioners, end up treating their little ones with traditional method at the cost of the child’s life.