Infant branded with 'hot iron' to treat pneumonia in MP; probe ordered
Shahdol (PTI): A one-and-a-half-month-old boy suffering from pneumonia was branded with a hot iron rod more than 40 times by a local nurse to treat the illness at a village in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, officials said on Tuesday.
When the child's condition deteriorated earlier this month, he was taken to a hospital where the matter came to light. More than 40 scars were found on the child's neck, stomach and other body parts, they said.
The boy is now being treated at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Shahdol and a probe has been ordered into the matter, the officials said.
The baby's family, resident of Hardi village, had approached a "daai" (village nurse) who allegedly poked the child's body with a hot iron rod more than 40 times in a bid to treat pneumonia on November 4, they said.
The baby's grandmother got the hot iron treatment done at her home from a "daai", Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr RS Pandey said.
When the baby's condition deteriorated, he was taken to the district hospital, from where he was referred to the medical college for treatment, he said.
A team of health officials has been constituted to conduct a probe into the matter, he added.
Dr Nishant Prabhakar, head of the paediatrics department at the medical college, said the baby was branded with a hot iron rod at the time of birth and again when he suffered from pneumonia.
More than 40 scars of branding were found on the child's neck, stomach, back and other body parts, he said.
The boy is doing fine now following treatment at the government hospital, Prabhakar said.
It has been a common practice to brand children with iron rods to treat their illnesses in tribal-dominated areas of the district.
In February this year, the body of a two-and-a-half-month-old girl was exhumed in Shahdol district for an investigation following her death after allegedly being branded with a hot iron rod more than 50 times to treat pneumonia.
In the same month, another case came to light where a three-month-old girl was branded with a hot iron rod in the district.
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Ramadan, Lent coincide this year, happens once in three decades: How it happens, when it will occur
This year, Ramadan and Lent are reportedly being observed during the same period, a calendar overlap that happens only once in roughly 30 to 33 years.
According to a post by ‘That Dubai Page’ on Instagram both are important periods of fasting in Islam and Christianity respectively, but they follow different calendars, which is why their dates usually do not align.
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day period in the Christian liturgical calendar observed before Easter.
It is marked by fasting, prayer, repentance and self-examination.
The duration of 40 days reflects the time Jesus is believed to have fasted in the wilderness. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before Easter Sunday, and the feast mass is celebrated on Saturday.
The exact dates change every year because they are linked to Easter, which is calculated based on the Christian liturgical calendar.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer and spiritual discipline. From dawn to sunset each day, adult and able-bodied Muslims abstain from food and drink. The fast is broken at sunset.
Unlike Lent, Ramadan does not follow the Gregorian calendar.
According to admiddleeast.com , Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, known as the hilāl, which signals the start of the new lunar month.
Religious committees in many Muslim-majority countries meet after sunset on the 29th day of the preceding month, Sha‘ban, to look for the moon.
If it is sighted, Ramadan begins the next day. If not, Sha‘ban is completed as a 30-day month and Ramadan starts after that.
While Saudi Arabias announcement is widely followed, each country makes its own official declaration.
Why dont they always overlap?
The Islamic lunar calendar has around 354 days, which is about 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar.
Because of this difference, Ramadan shifts earlier by about 10 or 11 days each year. Over time, it moves through all seasons.
Lent, on the other hand, is tied to Easter and the Christian liturgical calendar. Since the two religious observances are based on different systems for calculating dates, they rarely fall at the same time.
How often does the overlap happen?
The overlap happens in cycles of approximately 30 to 33 years. When it happens, Ramadan and Lent may coincide for a few consecutive years. After that, they do not align again for decades.
Following the current cycle, major overlaps are not expected again until the 2050s.
