The number of patients suffering from pneumonia, fever, cold, cough, diarrhoea, and other cold-related diseases has taken a sharp rise, and at least five children have died at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal in the last six days.
Authorities said that patients from all six districts of the division are coming to the hospital. As a result, there is an acute shortage of beds at the facility. Even children are being treated on the floor as the hospital has already admitted more patients than its capacity, authorities said.
Hundreds of children and adult patients are currently receiving treatment at the wards and the outpatient department of the hospital, they said.
The mercury dropped below 10 degrees Celsius in the district on Wednesday and to 11.5 degrees on Thursday.
According to the Barisal Divisional Health Directorate, 448 patients were admitted to various hospitals in the division with cold-related diseases in the last seven days.
Of them, 40 patients were admitted to hospitals in Barisal district, 136 in Patuakhali, 183 in Bhola, 24 in Barguna, 26 in Jhalakathi, and 39 in Pirojpur district.
While visiting the hospital, this correspondent found the children’s ward full. There was no space, even on the floors, to admit more patients. About three hundred patients have been admitted to the 63-bed ward, authorities said.
Besides, there are 131 critically ill infants in the 45-bed Special Care Neonatal Unit. Among them, there are five children aged zero to five years.
The number of children in the diarrhoea ward has already crossed 50.
Dr Uttam Kumar Saha, head of the children’s ward at the hospital, confirmed the numbers and said: “We are currently struggling as there are three to five times more patients in the children’s ward alone.”
“Hundreds of patients come here every day from the surrounding districts and upazilas as well as outside the division, as it is one of the oldest medical college hospitals in the country,” he said.
Runa Akhter, in charge of the neonatal children's ward, said that on January 12, a total of 31 children were admitted to the ward, and one of them died.
On January 13, some 30 children were admitted to the ward, and one child died. The next day, 31 children were admitted, and one of them died.
Besides, on January 15, another 30 children were admitted to the wad. On the following day, another 31 were admitted. One of the child patients died on the day, Runa Akhter said.
On January 17, at least 30 children were admitted, and one died, she added.
Hospital Director Dr Saiful Islam said four paediatric doctors are serving more than four hundred patients in the outpatient department every day. Maximum service is being provided in the paediatric ward despite various limitations, he added.
The hospital director also said that children suffering from fever, cold, cough, and pneumonia have been increasing in the children's ward since January 12. An average of 30 children are admitted to this ward every day.
“Children and elderly patients are being admitted with pneumonia, fever, cold, cough, diarrhoea, and other cold-related diseases. We are trying our best to provide medical care for them,” he added.
The number of beds is insufficient for the entire division, the doctor said, adding: “We are forced to serve almost three to five times more patients than its capacity. We think that this problem will be solved once a new building is built at the hospital.”
