Bangladeshi couple welcomes quintuplets amid financial hardship and medical risks
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A couple from Noakhali’s Sonaimuri upazila has welcomed quintuplets at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), marking a high-risk medical milestone that has left the family navigating both profound joy and significant financial distress. Samrina Akter, 20, gave birth to the three boys and two girls via caesarean section on June 11, at just 30 weeks of gestation.
The pregnancy was identified as high-risk early on. Initial ultrasounds during the third month of gestation indicated six fetuses, prompting medical professionals to advise the parents to consider termination to protect the mother’s health. Despite pressure from relatives and medical warnings regarding the extreme risks, Samrina and her husband, Mostakim Hossain, 24, opted to proceed with the pregnancy, eventually learning that five of the fetuses had survived.
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The newborns, each weighing approximately one kilogram, are currently classified as premature. Three infants are receiving critical care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at DMCH, while the remaining two have been transferred to a private facility due to a shortage of space at the public hospital.
Brigadier General Md. Asaduzzaman, director of DMCH, stated that while multiple births are occasionally seen at the facility, such cases are rare, noting that this is only the second time in two-and-a-half years that a patient has given birth to five children at the hospital. He emphasized that the infants remain in delicate condition, requiring extended NICU support. The Department of Social Services has stepped in to assist the family, providing support for the ongoing medical expenses through its child protection helpline.
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For Samrina, the journey was marked by severe physical complications, including significant weight gain, mobility issues, and recurring infections. The financial strain has been equally burdensome. Mostakim, a cricketer, has exhausted his savings and sold his sporting goods business to cover the costs of pregnancy care, advanced diagnostic scans, and high-priced medications.
The couple estimates they have already spent roughly 700,000 taka on medical bills. With daily costs reaching approximately 50,000 taka at the private facility alone, the family is currently relying on loans and assistance from friends to sustain the infants’ care. Despite the mounting debt and the uncertain health trajectory of their children, Mostakim remains steadfast. “I tell her not to worry about the expenses,” he said, reflecting on his wife’s recovery. “Our only wish now is for the children to be healthy and to return home.”
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