Berhampur, Jan. 31: Ignorance and superstition claimed three lives of a nomad family at Nuagaon in Chikiti block, 37km from here.

Instead of approaching the doctors, the family relied on superstitious practices to ward off an evil spirit, who, according to the family members, had possessed them.

The deceased were K. Laudi, 40, his son K. Bulu, 8, and his two-month-old grand son. An intervention by health officials helped save the life of three-year-old Arati of the same family.

“While the two-month-old baby died on January 27 at 9am, K. Bulu died on January 29. K. Laudi died yesterday. Police said the two-month-old son had been suffering from pneumonia and died due to septicaemia. The father-son duo, who had shown symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, died due to suspected food poisoning,” said district surveillance medical officer Dr Akshya Kumar Tripathy.

“We convinced the family to admit Arati at MKCG hospital in Berhampur. She was also suffering from diarrhoea and was vomiting. She survived,” he said.

“Though the Chikiti community health centre is only 5km away from the village, the family members never tried to admit the patients there. Instead, they prayed to the evil spirit and danced whole night beating drums and consuming liquor as prasad to appease it,” said district epidemiologist Sabitri Rout.

She said the family members insisted that an evil spirit had possessed the patients and it was their family tradition to ward off the spirit through dance and drinks.