Sick infant branded with hot iron dies

Nabarangpur: An eight-month old infant boy, who was branded with hot iron by his father to cure his illness in Mahuvatta village under Raighar police limits, died at the district headquarters hospital on Monday.

Dr Dharani Ranjan Satpathy, paediatrician in the hospital, said the infant boy was admitted to the hospital late in the night on February 21 with severe lungs infection and anaemia. He was also suffering from acute malnutrition and low weight of only four kg.

“At the time of admission, the infant had abnormal heartbeat and was suffering from high fever. We tried our best to provide all possible treatment. We gave him blood, antibiotics and intravenous fluid. We had observed that his condition was improving. But his condition started deteriorating alarmingly from noon today and he finally succumbed to his illness at 3 PM,” he said.

Reports said the as baby boy was suffering from acute asthma, his father, Rama Ganda branded the baby boy with hot iron on February 19 to cure him.

But as the condition of the baby deteriorated, he was rushed to Umarkote hospital and later to the district headquarters hospital.

“My son was suffering from Asthma. I gave him five iron brandings to cure him at around 1 pm on February 19. But his condition deteriorated. Finding no other option, I took him the hospital,” Ganda said.

Asked on whose suggestion he branded his son with hot iron, Ganda said, “Earlier, my father used to follow the practice to cure the people. I though it will work in my son's case. So I branded my son with hot iron.”