MP: Two infants die after branding with hot iron, 3 health workers sacked

Shahdool: Two ASHA workers and their supervisor were terminated, while the faith healer has been booked in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district after the death of two newborns, who were allegedly branded with a hot iron rod multiple times as part of a traditional method to cure ailments.

This is the second such incident reported from the state as another three-month-old girl child had also died in a similar manner on Saturday after being branded by a hot iron. The family of the deceased infant, who was suffering from pneumonia, initially took her to a quack who then branded her to 'treat' her. However, the child's condition deteriorated and her family took her to the Shahdol Medical College where she eventually passed away.

District Collector Vandana Vaidya said the body of the two-and-half-month-old girl was exhumed on Friday and a post-mortem would be conducted. Initial investigation has shown that she died due to pneumonia, but the real reasons behind the death could be known after the post-mortem report, she said. 

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The child’s mother, a resident of Kathotia under Sinhpur police station limits in the tribal-dominated district, said her family first took her ailing daughter to a quack but her condition didn’t improve. The family then approached a woman faith healer who poked the child’s body with a hot iron rod 51 times in a bid to treat her, the mother said.

However, the baby’s condition deteriorated and she was taken to the district hospital, which referred her to Shahdol Medical College. The baby died during treatment on Wednesday, she said. The family members then buried the child’s body. After learning about the incident from the local media, the government decided to exhume the body.

The infant, identified as Shubhi Kol, was brought to the government-run Birsa Munda Medical College on Wednesday after she was branded with a hot iron rod, the institution’s superintendent Dr Nagendra Singh said. The child is a resident of Samatpur Village under Sinhpur police station limits and her parents shifted her to a private facility on Friday, Singh added.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical and Health Officer RS Pandey said he would collect information about Shubhi Kol as well as other branding incidents by visiting the Sinhpur area. And the chief medical and health officer, women and child development officer and district immunisation officer visited the villages. 

After the visit, Pandey observed, "Serious negligence from the field staff as well as the development block level staff-officers came to the fore during the visit." The parents and the villagers demanded a fair probe into the incident.

The mother of the two-month-old said, "We did not find any doctor in the village, so we went to a local healer. Later, we rushed our daughter to a private hospital where she died. I want a fair probe into the matter." 

Shahdol superintendent of police Kumar Prateek stated that they are investigating both deaths. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, chief medical health officer Dr RS Pandey said, "The infants’ deaths took place due to medical negligence in the past one week. So the services of two Asha workers and sahayikas of two villages were ended with immediate effect." Pandey added, "A show cause notice has been issued to block medical officer Dr Y K Paswa." 

Two 'health healers' were booked under the provisions of The Drug and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 and IPC for branding the infants, as per a media report in The New Indian Express. 

The Shahdol district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr RS Pandey is planning to take action against 15 permanent and contractual staff of the health department, from block medical officer (BMO) to ANM and ASHA workers, for being unable to prevent such deaths and failing to render due medical care. 

Meanwhile, the staff members of the health department have been directed to perform door-to-door Pneumonia screening exercises among kids aged up to six months in every village of all development blocks of the east MP district. They have been asked to track those people who perform such superstitious practices. 

Stating that they have taken notice of the issue, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson, Priyank Kanoongo said that they have issued a notice to the local administration to ensure strict action in the matter. Kanoongo said, "We have been receiving complaints from MP that a child was branded with a hot iron rod in the name of treatment. The Commission has zero tolerance for such practices and takes strict action against them. We are issuing a notice (to the local administration) and will ensure that strict action is taken against the guilty." 

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