Bhubaneswar: In a shocking and disturbing incident, a month-old baby in Nabarangapur district was reportedly branded with a hot iron to cure him of ailments.
As many as 40 burn marks have been found on the child’s body. The chenka ((branding with hot iron) were inflicted by a quack practitioner who used a hot iron rod to brand the child, allegedly as a form of treatment for the infant’s illness.
As per reports, Saroj Nayak’s son Bhavyansu of Phundelpar under Chandahandi block fell ill 10 days back. He had a high fever and began crying uncontrollably. Instead of seeking medical attention from a qualified doctor, the child’s family took him to a local quack practitioner who brutally branded the infant with hot iron, claiming it was a form of treatment.
However, the health condition of the baby deteriorated after being branded with hot iron. As his condition became critical, the baby was rushed to the Umerkote Sub-Divisional Hospital, where a team of doctors, led by Senior Pediatrician and Chief District Medical Officer Santosh Kumar Panda, provided timely medical service.
According to Panda, the baby’s condition is stable, and efforts are being made to ensure a speedy recovery.
Preliminary treatment has yielded positive results, with indications suggesting that the infant’s health is gradually improving, hospital.
