The deceased children included an 8-year-old girl, Anita Nagesh, a 7-year-old boy, Akram Nagesh, and a 4-year-old boy, Gorashwar Nagesh. Their father, Damrudhar Nagesh, a laborer, had taken the family to his in-laws’ residence in Makka Todne Sahibin Kachar, where the children developed high fever. The family initially consulted a quack doctor, but the children did not recover.
Returning to Dhanora village, the family sought traditional healing from local Baiga-Guniya practitioners instead of taking the children to a hospital. Over the course of three days, all three children succumbed. Anita’s condition worsened on November 11, and by the time she was taken to Amli Padar hospital, she had passed away. On November 13, Akram died en route to Devbhog hospital, while Gorashwar died during treatment at the Baiga healer’s site the same evening.
Local Mitanin Kumari Kamta Nagesh confirmed the sequence of events, stating that all three children belonged to the same family and died in quick succession. Dr. Ramakant of Amli Padar Government Hospital said the children exhibited fever and cold symptoms, and authorities had advised the family to seek hospital care, which they did not follow.
Residents cited distance from hospitals, delayed ambulances, and unavailability of doctors as contributing factors. The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Gariaband, S.K. Navratna, described the incident as serious and confirmed that a four-member investigation team has been dispatched to Dhanora village to probe the matter.
The incident has sparked concern over the risks of superstitious practices and the importance of timely medical intervention, particularly in remote areas with limited healthcare access.
