Measles outbreak: 2 sons in 2 hospitals; father left distraught

Owing to a severe influx of patients and a subsequent shortage of hospital beds, toddler Abdullah is receiving medical treatment on a makeshift bed spread across the floor.

His mother, Suma Akhtar, was seen applying ointment to his face, while his father, Saiful Islam, sat beside him with a look of utter helplessness. The child’s lips and mouth have become ulcerated due to measles rashes, which Suma was carefully tending to.

Upon approaching the family to enquire about their situation, Saiful looked up and recounted their ordeal. He explained that Abdullah developed a fever 10 days ago. After administering fever medication at home for two days, rashes began to appear across his entire body. He was rushed to the DNCC Hospital that same day, where he was diagnosed with measles.

Saiful Islam further said after two days of admission, the child’s condition deteriorated, necessitating his transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite three days in the ICU, there was no improvement. Eventually, acting on medical advice, the child was moved from the DNCC Hospital to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, where he is currently being treated on the third floor.

Saiful Islam has been residing in the capital’s Kamrangirchar area with his family for the past decade, earning a living as an auto-rickshaw driver. He has two sons: the eldest, Mohammad Alif, is six years old, while the youngest, Abdullah, is a mere 18 months.

When speaking with Saiful at the Mohakhali Infectious Diseases Hospital at approximately 12:30 pm on Friday, it emerged that his eldest son, Alif, had also been admitted to the DNCC Hospital with symptoms of measles. His mother-in-law is currently looking after the eldest boy, while Saiful and his wife attend to their youngest at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.

Saiful shared that Abdullah’s condition remains critical. “His state is not at all good,” he said. “The rash has spread across his whole body. His lips and mouth are in a terrible state; the rashes there have burst and turned into sores. He is suffering from respiratory distress and cannot breathe without supplemental oxygen. The physicians informed us that he requires urgent readmission to the ICU, but despite our pleading, we haven’t been able to secure a bed. Out of necessity, we have kept him on the floor with only the oxygen supply connected.”

Recalling a terrifying moment, Saiful added, “On Thursday afternoon, Abdullah’s condition was so dire we feared we had lost him. He couldn’t draw breath. We were inconsolable. After alerting the physician, they quickly arranged for oxygen, and he has been on it ever since.”

Regarding the possibility of private care, Saiful lamented his lack of means. “The physicians keep telling us that his condition is critical and we should move him to a private hospital’s ICU immediately. But private healthcare is exorbitantly expensive. I drive an auto-rickshaw; how could I possibly find such funds?”

Caught in the frantic struggle for his younger son’s life, Saiful has been unable to check on his eldest. He noted that while his mother-in-law reported Alif is slightly better, the constant racing between two hospitals has left him utterly exhausted.

Later, around 1:30 pm, Saiful was seen again outside the emergency department on the ground floor of the Mohakhali hospital. He shared a brief update: “A bed has become available in the ICU, and my younger son has been moved there. The physicians say his condition is still very poor, but they are doing their utmost. We are waiting and praying to the Almighty.”

Saiful’s children are not alone in this plight; over 50 children are currently undergoing treatment for measles or related symptoms at the Mohakhali Infectious Diseases Hospital.

Patients are being treated on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. The fourth floor houses the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the High Dependency Unit (HDU).

A visit to the general ward on the fifth floor on Friday afternoon revealed that rows of beds were filled with ailing children. Due to the bed shortage, several children were lying on the floor. Many bore the characteristic reddish rashes on their faces and bodies. Some were asleep, others were crying, and some were being administered nebulisers—the latter often causing the children to wail further as their relatives tried to soothe them. The nursing staff appeared visibly preoccupied with providing care.

On a bed in the outer corridor of the fifth-floor general ward lies two-and-a-half-month-old Farish. His grandmother, Johra Begum, 45, sat by his side. They travelled from Raipura Upazila in Narsingdi, having visited three different hospitals there before coming to Dhaka. Johra Begum mentioned that physicians found fluid in the infant’s chest and a blood infection; he has been under treatment for three days.

The Superintendent of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, FA Asma Khan, informed this correspondent on Friday afternoon that seven children were admitted with measles or measles-like symptoms in the last 24 hours. No deaths were reported during this period. Currently, 54 children remain admitted, 12 of whom are in the ICU and HDU.

Asma Khan further disclosed that as of Thursday, a total of 1,045 children had been admitted to the hospital. Of these, 888 have been discharged. However, 40 children have died with measles symptoms, and seven deaths have been confirmed as measles.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, FA Asma Khan noted that children are arriving from all districts across the country, though the majority are from outside the capital. An analysis of the first 36 child fatalities revealed that 30 of them were from outside Dhaka.

Asma Khan warned that the situation could become dire over the next month. “The measles situation is currently fluctuating,” she said. “Children are getting infected for a second time after an initial recovery from fever and cold. This has created a sense of panic among parents. The next month is a critical window. With the upcoming Eid holidays, children will be travelling to different regions, which could significantly accelerate the spread of infection.”