A shocking case of superstition has come to light in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, where a man mistakenly swallowed a Rs 100 note while eating a handful of grains over a belief that he would get a son.
Upon realising that he had swallowed the note, he cut his own stomach with a small sharp blade, which eventually led to hospitalisation and a complex surgery. According to a report by Gujarati Jagran, the 36-year-old man has three daughters.
He wanted a son and so fell into the trap of superstitious beliefs. He was given the note and grain as prasad (blessed food), with a promise of procreation.
However, last week, the man accidentally swallowed the currency note along with the grains. He became anxious after the incident. Fearing that he would not have a son because of the mistake, he cut his own stomach using a small sharp blade.
After excessive bleeding, his condition worsened, and he was rushed to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital last Wednesday. The doctors performed a complex intestinal surgery with the joint efforts of the surgical department and the anaesthesia team to remove the note.
The surgery lasted for up to two hours, during which the damage to the abdominal wall caused by the sharp blade was carefully repaired with stitches. Additionally, a tube was inserted in his intestines to examine the internal organs, including the intestines and allow food to be taken. The man was shifted to the ICU after the surgery, where he took over a week to recover.
After being kept in medical observation for 8 days, the man's health condition stabilised, and he was subsequently discharged. Due to the timely medical assistance, the man's life was saved. The incident has raised concern over the widely spread superstition and gender inequality in the society.