Indian shaman cuts up snake bite victim’s hand with razor blade in dangerous folk 'treatment'
- 5 years ago
A man bitten by a snake in east India received a dangerous and unorthodox treatment from a shaman that involved slicing his bitten arm with a razor blade.
Parafulla Majhi, 28, was bitten by a venomous snake on October 29 in Ranapur near Nayagad, Odisha.
Instead of going to the hospital he went to a local shaman, Sarbeswar Pradhan, for healing.
The shaman chanted mantras, prayed with neem leaves and even cut the snake bite wound with a razor blade to "bleed the poison."
Snake Helpline members rushed to the spot after hearing about the "treatment", rebuked with the with the shaman and forcibly shifted the victim to a hospital.
The patient was administered with snake anti-venom and discharged after two days.
General Secretary of Snake Helpline Subhendu Malik said: "Cutting the the bite site with a blade is an old method and very harmful. It makes makes the wound difficult to manage and increases risk of secondary infections.”
“The shaman should be arrested for endangering the victim,” Subhendu added.
Parafulla Majhi, 28, was bitten by a venomous snake on October 29 in Ranapur near Nayagad, Odisha.
Instead of going to the hospital he went to a local shaman, Sarbeswar Pradhan, for healing.
The shaman chanted mantras, prayed with neem leaves and even cut the snake bite wound with a razor blade to "bleed the poison."
Snake Helpline members rushed to the spot after hearing about the "treatment", rebuked with the with the shaman and forcibly shifted the victim to a hospital.
The patient was administered with snake anti-venom and discharged after two days.
General Secretary of Snake Helpline Subhendu Malik said: "Cutting the the bite site with a blade is an old method and very harmful. It makes makes the wound difficult to manage and increases risk of secondary infections.”
“The shaman should be arrested for endangering the victim,” Subhendu added.