Dengue and measles are raging, and seasonal flu is now spreading too. Hospitals are crowded with patients suffering from fever, colds, coughs and breathing difficulties. Because the symptoms are similar, there is growing worry about which virus is to blame, and infections with several viruses at once are adding to the pressure on hospitals. The mother of Jannat, aged four years and three months, is deeply worried about which virus her daughter has.
“I haven’t had her tested yet,” Jannat’s mother said. “Now I’ll take her to Mugda Medical. If they give us tests there, I’ll get her admitted. After the tests we’ll find out what’s wrong.”
Her story is not unusual. At Dhaka Shishu Hospital and other hospitals, queues are growing longer with illnesses beyond measles and dengue.
Several parents who brought their children to hospital said the children’s colds and fevers had got worse after the measles vaccination. “We’ve seen private doctors many times, but I feel I’m not getting the right treatment there,” one said.
For doctors, the biggest challenge now is identifying different diseases hidden behind similar symptoms.
“We are now seeing some similarities between measles and dengue,” said paediatrician Dr Halima Akter. “In small children, the fever lasts three or four days. Then the fever goes and a rash appears. Measles can also bring diarrhoea, and pus from the ears can be an extra sign of measles.” Professor AKM Azizul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital, said the hospital has no system of extra beds. “So naturally we try to discharge patients who are improving and make room for emergency patients,” he said.
With dengue, measles and seasonal flu circulating at the same time, the health ministry is giving doctors special training to manage the situation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report