Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 (Inditop.com) Hundreds of women complained of itchy and swollen palms and hands in three northern Orissa districts Monday after applying mehndi (henna) on their hands to celebrate the Eid festival, health officials said.
The henna decoration proved costly for the women and girls, mostly from the Muslim community, in the districts of Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj.
Over 200 women and girls from Ramachandrapur, Bont, Kazimohalla and Malatira villages in the district of Bhadrak complained of itching palms a few hours after they applied mehndi.
The hospital at Bont village treated more than 400 women and girls, hospital sources said.
“They all were complaining of itching, swelling in the palm and hands and reddening skin. We immediately sent a medical team comprising eight doctors to the hospital and provided treatment to the women,” Bhadrak’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bhagaban Dixit told Inditop.
“While most of them have been discharged, seven women and three children have been hospitalized in the districts,” he said.
“Attending doctors have been asked to visit the villages and collect the mehndi samples. Medicines and oral rehydration solution packets have been distributed in the villages,” he said.
According to Dixit, the affected women were given anti-allergy medicines and some administrated saline drip.
He said the mehndi they used must have been expired or contained noxious chemicals which reacted with the skin.
Some of the women undergoing treatment said they had applied mehndi Sunday night to celebrate Eid and in a few hours, their hands began to itch.
“The colour of our skins where the mehndi was applied turned red. Later, our palms and hands became swollen,” said Sahanur Bibi, a patient.
Tension prevailed for over an hour at Bont when locals staged a road blockade after they found doctors absent when the women were taken to hospital for treatment.
Similar incidents were reported from Soro and Jaleswar areas of Balasore district and Bahalda area of Mayurbhanj district.
While 3 and 12 women in Soro and Jaleswar respectively fell ill, 10 others in Bahalda were provided treatment, health officials said.
The district headquarters of Balasore is located about 200 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj are neighbouring districts.
