Measles outbreak is pushing thousands of Bangladeshi families into debt, unemployment and financial ruin, as prolonged hospital stays force breadwinners to abandon work and exhaust their savings in a crisis that extends far beyond the disease itself.
Across isolation wards in government hospitals, parents who once struggled to make ends meet are now borrowing money, selling household belongings and losing their jobs to keep sick children alive.
Health experts warn the outbreak is rapidly becoming both a public health emergency and an economic crisis for low-income households.
"I haven't worked for more than 15 days. I lost my job while caring for my daughter," said Sojib Barman, a mobile phone technician from Kishoreganj, sitting beside his nine-month-old child at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
His daughter has been admitted to four hospitals since falling ill.
The family has already spent nearly Tk80,000, financed through loans and the sale of household possessions.
"So far, treatment is better here, but money has become our biggest problem," he said.
"Most medicines are free, but we still have to buy some from outside. Tests, transport and even food are becoming impossible to manage."
His wife and elderly mother have remained at the hospital with him for nine days, leaving the family's income at a standstill.
His story is being repeated in hospitals across the country.
A joint assessment by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), conducted across 12 government hospitals and medical colleges, found that every family surveyed required financial assistance to cope with the outbreak.
The assessment paints a grim picture of the economic toll.
About 87% of affected families had borrowed money to cover treatment costs, while 47% had exhausted their savings.
More than 93% depended on informal employment, earning only Tk6,000 to Tk15,000 a month before illness forced many to stop working.
"In almost every family we visited, at least one income earner had stopped working to care for a child," said Faysal Ahmed of the BDRCS National Disaster Response Team.
"Many families arrived in Dhaka with borrowed money and are struggling even to buy food while paying for medical tests."
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh has recorded more than 100,000 suspected measles cases since April 15.
Nearly 84,000 patients have required hospitalization, while the death toll has exceeded 738, including confirmed and suspected cases.
For many families, treatment itself is only part of the financial burden.
At the DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital, Khaled Hasan, a restaurant worker from Thakurgaon, worries he may no longer have a job waiting for him.
"I took one week's leave, but I've already been here for nine days," he said. "Someone told me another worker has been hired."
His family has already spent more than Tk50,000 after seeking treatment first in Thakurgaon before travelling to Dhaka.
"My wife borrowed Tk10,000 from her parents yesterday," he said.
Others have fallen even deeper into debt.
Al-Amin Hossain, a transport worker from Barisal, has spent the past month caring for his 13-month-old son.
"I had no income for a month. Everything was managed through loans," he said.
"Even buying food became difficult until I received Tk10,000 from the Red Crescent."
Some families report spending more than Tk150,000 after moving between multiple private hospitals before finally reaching government facilities.
Experts say the outbreak is exposing the absence of financial protection for vulnerable households.
Professor Dr Syed Abdul Hamid of the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka warned that many low-income families are falling into long-term debt simply because a child becomes ill.
"Many are borrowing at high interest, selling assets or exhausting their savings," he said. "The financial consequences can last long after the child recovers."
He called for the creation of a National Health Fund to help families during major disease outbreaks and recommended strengthening district hospitals to reduce costly referrals to Dhaka.
Although the DGHS says medicines are available in government hospitals, families say their largest expenses come from diagnostic tests, transport, accommodation and daily living costs.
The IFRC-BDRCS assessment found that besides cash assistance, 34% of families needed medicines, 22% required water, sanitation and hygiene support, and 19% needed food assistance.
Back in the measles ward at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Sojib Barman remains beside his daughter's bed, uncertain when she will recover -- or how his family will recover financially.
"I can find another job later," he said quietly. "Right now, I just want my daughter to survive."
