BHUBANESWAR: In an utter display of superstition-based inhuman behaviour, a three-month-old infant was branded with a hot iron rod by her parents as a ‘cure’ for stomach ailments. The incident occurred at Muktapur village here in Angul district.
The baby girl was admitted to the Pallahada Sub-divisional Hospital when her condition deteriorated. She suffered burns on her stomach, said doctors there.
According to reports, the child born to Buduni and Ajay Munda of Muktapur village in Angul district, was suffering from indigestion which caused her stomach to swell. Instead of taking her to the hospital, Ajay and his wife Buduni branded her with a hot iron as per the advice of some villagers.
“Our neighbours advised us to brand her with a hot iron rod to cure her stomach swelling. Our baby got some relief but cough continued. So, we admitted her to hospital,” said Ajay.
“The baby is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Her condition is stable,” doctors at Pallahada Sub-divisional Hospital told reporters here. The practice of branding children with hot metal objects such an iron rod or bangles to cure ailments is widely practised in many remote areas of Odisha.
