Rangpur has reported 11 child deaths from pneumonia in the last five days, due to the biting cold.
About 500 children are currently being treated at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH), and most of those dead are aged between one month and a year.
The cold has spread various diseases, such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, fever, with children being the most affected.
Meanwhile, long queues of parents with their children were seen at the RMCH outdoors, anxiously waiting for a checkup. However, there were only medical officers on site, one evaluating patients and the other prescribing medication.
Afroza Begum, a parent from Lalmonirhat district, said she had been waiting in the queue since 7am, but when she arrived hundreds of people were already there. "My 7-month-old daughter has been suffering from fever since last week, and nothing is helping.”
“In these circumstances, it would have been better to give responsibility to at least 5-7 doctors, then we wouldn't have to suffer so much,” she suggested
Apart from the medical officers, no resident doctors or even assistant professors of the hospital visited the hospital premises
Mumtaz Begum, from Kishoreganj, said her son needed to be hospitalized, so she had brought him to the RMCH emergency department. However, the hospital authorities told her to join a queue with others.
“The doctors who are checking the children are not child specialists, and I believe nothing good will come out of it,” said Akhter Hossain, another parent standing in line with a one-year-old.
“The district’s doctors, associate and assistant prof doctors have increased their visitation fees to Tk1,000 and Tk800. Are middle class people going to be able to afford this?” he asked.
When contacted, Director of RMCH Dr Rezaul Karim said on average 15-20 children die at the hospital. “If parents bring their children to the hospital on time, this can be avoided."
The few doctors who were on duty said they would not speak to reporters without the director's permission, but recommended that children stay indoors during the winter and wear proper clothing.