The sweeping cold wave has claimed the lives of at least six children over the last one week and affected many more in Thakurgaon.
Some 500 patients, mostly children, were admitted to the Sadar Hospital with cold-related diseases during the period, said acting Civil Surgeon Dr Shahjahan Newaz.
A moderate cold wave with mercury dipping as low as 5-8 degrees Celsius has been sweeping the district for the past seven days, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, reports UNB.
The number of patients, largely children, has started rising with the fall in temperature, forcing hospital authorities to form two additional medical teams on Saturday to tackle the situation.
Divisional Director Dr Amal Chandra Saha said physicians and nurses have been working round the clock to ensure proper treatment of the patients.
"The two medical teams will be working till the growing pressure of patients eases," he said.
Dr Shahjahan also said they have only 18 beds in the Child Ward of the hospital where a total of 163 children with different ailments, including diarrhoea, pneumonia ,and asthma, are now being treated.
Among the children, 79 have been suffering from diarrhoea and 36 from pneumonia, he added.
"We have to keep patients on the hospital floors and corridors for lack of beds," he added.