BARISHAL, Bangladesh — Seven children have died of measles and 77 have been admitted to hospitals across Barishal division, where a vaccine shortage in one district and overcrowded wards are straining the response, health officials said.
The office of the Barishal divisional health director said that among the division’s six districts, Bhola district has a shortage of measles vaccines, while the other five districts have adequate supplies. Public anxiety is rising as the infection spreads rapidly, officials said.
Relatives of patients have complained that hospitals are providing care under conditions of disorganization and overcrowding. Rashida Begum, a resident of the Harinafulia area of Barishal city, was admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital with her 2-year-old child. She said her child, who has pneumonia, had been placed next to another child with measles, increasing the risk of infection.
The mother of a child with measles said the hospital faces a severe bed shortage. Unable to get a bed at first, she said she had to make repeated efforts to secure one. The lack of a separate ward has added to patients’ suffering, she said.
Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital said 130 children with measles had been treated there from January through March. Of those, 89 were admitted in March alone. One child has died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. According to the most recent 24-hour data, 26 children with measles are currently admitted to the pediatric ward.
The hospital has 41 designated beds for children but is treating about 400 children, further complicating the situation.
Dr. Shyamal Krishna Mondal, the Health Department’s Barishal divisional director, said 206 measles cases have been identified in the division so far. He said the situation must be handled with awareness rather than panic, and that ensuring the protection of children is now the most important issue.
Health officials said the situation could be brought under control through timely vaccination, isolation of those infected and improvement of hospital services.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report