Superstition rules supreme in the backward regions of Odisha where the poor turn to quacks to treat their children to get rid of ailments.
Two such cases were reported in the State in last 24 hours. While a 12-year-old boy died after being allegedly treated by a traditional healer, a newborn was admitted to hospital after being branded with hot iron.
Bhima Katiya, a Class-V student of the Kartanpalli School under Mathili block in Malkangiri district, fell sick in the hostel. Instead of visiting a hospital, his parents took him to a quack at Saradaput village. As his condition became critical, Katiya was rushed to the Mathili hospital, where he died on Thursday.
In the other incident, an eight-day-old baby from Dabiriguda village under Dabugaon block in Nabarangpur district was admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital on Thursday as his condition became critical after being branded with hot iron to cure his abdominal pain.
A quack of the village branded the child with a hot iron on the abdomen at eight points. His condition was said to be critical.
It may be mentioned that at least two quacks (locally called Disaris) have been arrested in the last two months for branding newborns with hot objects.