Bhubaneshwar: In a ghastly incidence, a seven-month old baby was left battling for life after she was branded over 100 times with a hot iron nail by a local ‘healer’, in Odisha’s tribal district of Koraput.
According to reports, the child, from Banaguda village, was taken by her mother to the local ‘disari’ after she developed a persistent cough and cold.
The quack, in an attempt to heal the infant, branded her with a hot nail, in her chest and abdomen.
“A few days after that my daughter stopped taking food. Later as her health condition deteriorated I brought to the hospital here,” said Ranjita Paraja, the child’s mother.
The old woman who branded the toddler claimed that it would draw out the illness.
Doctors revealed that the child was suffering form measles, but post branding, was infected, and is now suffering from pneumonia.
"The treatment is going on but the condition is very critical. If her condition deteriorates, she will be referred to Koraput Hospital for ICU treatment,” Dr Sandeep Tripathy, Paediatrician from Jeypore Hospital said.
