After Farhana, Humayra and Hiya, infant Jannatul also fights for life

When the conditions of infants Jannatul Mawa, Farhana, Humayra and Hiya—who were infected with the contagious disease measles—became critical last Thursday, they were recommended for ICU admission.

However, failing to secure ICU beds, Farhana and Humayra died on Friday morning. Hiya also died later that night. None of them could make it to the ICU. Only Jannatul Mawa is still alive, continuing to fight for her life.

Finally, at around 3:00 pm last Saturday, an ICU bed was arranged for Jannatul Mawa. Her condition improved rapidly. As a result, she was moved to a general ward the following day, Sunday afternoon. However, after being shifted there, she again developed breathing difficulties. Physicians quickly recommended that she be taken back to the ICU.

This time, however, her serial number was 36. The eight-month-old infant is once again fighting for her life. Seeing the 36th position in the queue, her parents were left distraught. In this condition, she was being treated while suffering convulsions early Monday morning.

Among the four infants, Humayra and Farhana were from Chapainawabganj, Hiya was from Kushtia, and Jannatul Mawa is from Kohar village in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi. Their ages ranged between five and nine months.

At Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, there are only 12 ICU beds for children, none of which are government-approved; they are operated under the hospital’s own arrangement. Here, critically ill children must wait for a bed.

Only when a child dies or shows improvement does the next patient get a chance. According to the serial system, 30 to 50 patients remain on the waiting list before an ICU bed becomes available. As a result, many children die while waiting.

According to hospital sources, from 1 to 26 March this year, 84 children suffering from measles were on the ICU waiting list. Even among those who received ICU care, nine could not be saved.

On Sunday night, on the corridor of Ward no. 24, Jannatul was seen lying on a bed with her mother Umme Kulsum and grandmother Farida Begum beside her. Her entire body was covered with the rash. A cannula was inserted in her hand, and oxygen was being administered through a nasal cannula. Her father, Hriday Islam, stood nearby, looking helpless.

Family members said, Jannatul Mawa developed pneumonia around mid-Ramadan and was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. After a week, she was discharged and taken home.

However, after returning home, measles appeared on her body. She was brought back to the hospital on the 27th of Ramadan but had to return due to the absence of physicians amid the Eid holidays. She was admitted again on the third day of Eid.

Last Thursday, the physician in-charge of the ward referred her for ICU admission. At that time, her serial number was 29. After waiting three days, she was taken to the ICU on Saturday afternoon. However, she was shifted back to the general ward after just one day.

Jannatul’s mother, Umme Kulsum, said in a tearful voice, “After being moved from the ICU to the general ward, my baby developed breathing problems. The physician immediately told me to arrange ICU admission. Now her serial number is 36. We don’t know what to do. If my child was not well, why was she taken out of the ICU? She was already in the ICU—she should be taken back immediately.”

The hospital’s paediatric ward, which has a capacity of 200 beds, had around 700 patients admitted before Eid. Among them were children with measles. For the past three months, infectious measles cases have been identified, yet all children were being treated together.

Jannatul’s grandmother, Farida Begum, said, “While staying in the hospital, we noticed marks on her body like mosquito bites. We thought they were mosquito bites. But after returning home, severe measles rashes spread all over her body.”

Her father, Hriday Islam, said, “Children are dying one after another before our eyes. How can we remain normal seeing this? After waiting three days, we managed to get her into the ICU. After just one day, she was taken out, and now her serial number is 36. We may have to wait another four or five days. If something happens during this time, who will take responsibility?”

He added, “I work at a brickfield. I do not have the financial capacity to take my child elsewhere for ICU care. Therefore, we request that since my child fell ill after being taken out of the ICU, she should be readmitted immediately.”

When the matter was raised with ICU in-charge Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, he said, “The child was shifted to the general ward as there had been sufficient improvement. A patient’s condition can deteriorate at any time. We have taken her back into the ICU on a priority basis.”