Infant branded with hot iron, hospitalized

Nabarangpur: There seems to be no end to branding of infants with hot iron in the tribal dominated Nabarangpur district of Odisha.

A 34-day old girl child was branded with hot iron bangles at Kenduhuda village under Papadahandi block of the district on Tuesday.

According to reports, the baby, suffering from some ailment, was taken to a quack who branded her with a red hot iron by way of treatment.

Soon after being branded, the baby’s health condition deteriorated and she was admitted to the district headquarters hospital, reports added.

“The 34-day old female baby, the child of Laxmi Pujari under Papadhandi police limits, was branded with hot bangles on March 6,” said Dr Priti Nayak, the doctor at Nabarangpur district headquarters hospital who is treating the baby girl.

“The baby had multiple injury marks on her abdomen. We have advised her mother to breastfeed her as she is crying of pain,” the doctor informed.