Twins born, one dead, other succumbs to measles
Photo Collected
A grief-stricken mother and father emerged from Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s emergency department, one cradling a deceased infant wrapped in cloth, the other holding a sickly, living child. Their story, as told to this news agency, is a stark illustration of the ongoing measles epidemic’s devastating impact on families across Bangladesh. The couple, Kamruzzaman and Jannati Begum, from Faridpur, are among the hundreds of parents who have lost children to the outbreak, their twin daughters, Raisa and Rumaisa, falling victim to the disease.
The family had come to the hospital for a story on fistula treatment but encountered the parents preparing to leave with their children’s remains. They were waiting for an ambulance, their belongings packed, a brief window opening for conversation. Five-month-old Raisa and Rumaisa were born at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and spent their first 15 days in the neonatal intensive care unit due to complications. Tragically, they returned to the same hospital on Wednesday, afflicted by measles.
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Kamruzzaman recounted that they had brought their twin daughters from Faridpur General Hospital to Dhaka Medical College Hospital that morning. Raisa succumbed to the illness around 11 a.m. The death certificate issued by the hospital cited measles and post-measles complications as the cause of death. Another document was provided to facilitate transport, stating it was not a “police case” and the death was due to measles complications, an attempt to ease the bureaucratic hurdles for the grieving parents.
The family explained that Raisa and Rumaisa had been admitted to Faridpur General Hospital nine days prior due to measles and other complications. Kamruzzaman briefly explained their nine-day struggle, noting Rumaisa’s condition had slightly improved while Raisa’s deteriorated. Faridpur General Hospital lacks a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), prompting doctors there to recommend transfer to a hospital with such facilities three days earlier.
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Jannati Begum, standing beside her husband, expressed their financial distress, stating they couldn’t afford the transfer sooner. “We couldn’t come because of money,” she said. “By the time we arranged funds, our daughter died.”
This aligns with a previous report by this news agency on April 16, titled “Parents Overwhelmed by Costs,” which highlighted how parents of measles-infected children are struggling financially. While treatment in government hospitals is less expensive, the costs escalate significantly when families must travel between multiple hospitals. Private healthcare facilities further increase the financial burden.
A report by the government’s Health Economics Unit in January 2023, “Bangladesh National Health Accounts 1997-2020,” indicated that out of every 100 taka spent on health, individuals bear 69 taka, while the government contributes only 23 taka. This individual expenditure has been increasing annually, pushing many families into poverty.
Kamruzzaman added that their twin daughters’ birth five months ago already incurred several lakh taka for a 15-day hospital stay. The recent illness with measles and pneumonia has led to continuous expenses. He stated, “We are spending money at every step.” The ambulance fare to return home alone was estimated to be over five thousand taka. Kamruzzaman, who does odd jobs, was too distraught for further details.
The family had arrived from Faridpur with considerable preparation, accompanied by the children’s grandmother and other relatives. Their bags were filled with essentials, including formula milk for the twins. As they prepared to board the ambulance, Jannati Begum gently lifted the cloth from Raisa’s face, caressing her daughter’s head and face before covering her again.
Kamruzzaman carefully placed his infant daughter’s body on the rear seat of the ambulance. Jannati Begum cried, wanting to sit beside her deceased child, but relatives guided her to sit next to Rumaisa, who was being held by her grandmother, before the ambulance departed.
The hospital sees numerous parents from various districts arriving with sick children, many of whom return with deceased infants.
Meanwhile, eight more children died from measles and its symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to 8 a.m. on Thursday, bringing the total death toll to 432. The Directorate General of Health Services began recording measles deaths and infections on March 15. A significant reason for the surge in measles cases is attributed to the lack of timely vaccinations during the interim government’s tenure. Furthermore, the absence of PICUs in district and divisional government hospitals leads to the transfer of critically ill children to Dhaka. Often, children die before securing a PICU bed.
Securing PICU beds in Dhaka for patients referred from district and divisional hospitals is challenging due to the high patient-to-bed ratio. Dhaka Medical College Hospital, for instance, has only 17 PICU beds, far fewer than the demand. Brigadier General Md. Asaduzzaman, director of the hospital, told this news agency that the existing PICU beds are insufficient even for admitted patients, making it difficult to accommodate external referrals.
This is not an isolated incident of a twin losing one sibling to measles. On March 27, Hasan, a twin, died at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Dhaka, while his brother, Hossain, survived. Their mother died during childbirth, and the twins were raised by their aunt and grandmother. Another report on May 5 detailed the plight of seven-month-old twins Khadija and Fatema. Fatema died on April 23 while undergoing treatment in the PICU of Bangladesh Neonatal Hospital, leaving Khadija to survive but not fully recovered.
Dr. Sribash Pal, in charge of the measles ward at the Infectious Disease Hospital, noted that when one twin contracts measles, it is difficult to isolate the other, leading to near-certain infection for both. He emphasized the increased burden on families of twins with measles, stating that maternal support is crucial as managing two sick children alone is extremely challenging.
As this reporter returned to the office around 3 p.m. after leaving the Kamruzzaman family to begin their journey back to Faridpur, the father’s anguished words echoed: “The general hospital has no PICU, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s PICU has no vacant beds. Where are parents of measles-infected children supposed to go for treatment?”
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