After six cases of branding of babies by traditional healers came to the light in Odisha’s Keonjhar district in the last ten days, the administration launched an awareness campaign urging people, especially tribals, to shun the superstitious practice.
Despite being one of the richest districts of the country, Keonjhar has very poor health infrastructure.
While four cases of branding of babies emerged from the Banspal area, one each was reported from the Keonjhar, Sadar and Harichandanpur blocks of the district. Although branding did not result in any death, two seriously ill infants were shifted to Cuttack.
Tribals usually look up to traditional healers whenever infants or kids develop stomach ailments. The traditional healers then brand stomachs with a hot iron nail.
It is one of the crudest forms of dealing with childhood illness.
“Apart from pictorial advertisements on walls, we have directed all ASHA workers and anganwadi workers to counsel people against branding of babies,” said Kabindra Prasad Sahoo, Chief District Medical Officer of Keonjhar.
