Child Dies of Measles-Like Symptoms in Noakhali Amid ICU Fund Shortage
A seven-year-old boy has died at Noakhali’s 250-bed General Hospital while receiving treatment for measles-like symptoms, with family members citing financial hardship as preventing his transfer to a specialist facility in Dhaka. Md. Samir, son of Mafizul Haque from Subarnachar Upazila, succumbed to his illness around 5 AM on Sunday in the hospital’s paediatric ward, just a day after his admission.
Hospital Superintendent Dr. Mohammad Farid Uddin Chowdhury confirmed the death to Prothom Alo, stating that Samir required intensive care and had been advised for transfer to Dhaka. However, his relatives were unable to afford the move. Samir was admitted Saturday afternoon in a critical condition, and attending physicians immediately recommended a transfer for advanced support.
বিজ্ঞাপন
This marks the first death attributed to measles-like symptoms at Noakhali General Hospital amidst a significant surge in cases. Since early April, approximately 950 children have been treated for similar symptoms, with 94 currently admitted to the paediatric ward. Forty new patients were admitted in the last 24 hours alone, according to hospital sources.
The overwhelming influx of patients has stretched the hospital’s resources, leading to critical shortages of beds, medicine, doctors, nurses, and support staff. The hospital’s service building has been repurposed as an isolation ward to accommodate the affected children, yet authorities are struggling to manage the escalating patient load.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Parents of children admitted with measles-like symptoms voiced concerns, alleging they are often forced to purchase most necessary medicines from outside the hospital. Furthermore, they highlighted the absence of a dedicated paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the district’s primary hospital, which leaves critically ill children in an uncertain state, necessitating high-cost referrals to Dhaka.
Dr. Chowdhury acknowledged the issue, explaining that while the General Hospital has general ICU beds, it lacks specific ICU facilities tailored for children. This structural deficiency compels the hospital to refer critically ill paediatric patients, including those with severe measles-like symptoms, to hospitals in the capital.
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