Labanya Akhter, a resident of Amvita in Dumuria upazila of Khulna, brought her three-and-a-half-month-old son Joy to the emergency department of Khulna Medical College Hospital on the morning of May 19 after four days of fever.
Doctors later diagnosed the child with measles and admitted him to the hospital’s measles ward after she purchased a Tk15 ticket from the emergency department.
Labanya said the child’s condition worsened after several days of fever before measles symptoms appeared.
She added that after admission, doctors examined the child and prescribed treatment, which has since begun.
Like Joy, all suspected measles patients are first admitted through the emergency department before being transferred to the measles ward, depending on symptom progression.
Patients with fever or pneumonia are initially placed in the medicine or paediatrics wards and later shifted to the measles ward if symptoms develop.
The measles ward is located on the fourth floor of the hospital. As soon as this correspondent exited the lift, rows of patients and guardians were seen lying and sitting on the floor and balcony areas.
Some were resting, others were walking around or using mobile phones while waiting for treatment.
A narrow passage between patients led to the measles ward, where a crowd had gathered at the entrance due to the presence of doctors on duty.
Inside, 38 patients were found receiving treatment amid an overcrowded and chaotic environment.
Children were crying throughout the ward, while some mothers were seen trying to calm them in their arms. Others were silently watching their children suffer, visibly distressed.
The ward room and adjoining balcony were packed beyond capacity. With three to four guardians accompanying each child, movement inside the ward was severely restricted, disrupting medical services.
Doctors also faced difficulty moving equipment, including portable X-ray machines, due to the congestion. In many cases, timely examination of patients was not possible.
Patients were seen lying on beds as well as on the floor, with even the balcony space nearly impassable.
Sathi, who brought her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Mariam from Terkhada, said measles was detected four days after fever began.
She added that the child had received the first dose of measles vaccine at nine months but missed the follow-up dose at 15 months.
Mother Reshma Akhter, who brought her nine-month-old son Safowan from Terkhada, said the child developed measles after a week of fever.
“The treatment situation here is very poor,” she said.
Another guardian, Eidni from Kalia in Narail, said her nine-month-old child Rajya developed fever for six days before measles symptoms appeared. She said the child improved after three days of treatment in the ward.
Ward nurses said 38 patients were admitted as of 11am on the day of visit.
Duty doctor Syeda Roksana Parveen said that around 90% of admitted patients were unvaccinated.
“These children missed the measles vaccine at nine months and 15 months, which is why the outbreak is severe,” she said.
“We are trying our best. Parents must ensure vaccination after recovery,” she added.
Khulna Divisional Health Director Dr Md Mujibur Rahman said the measles vaccination target had already been achieved.
“Vaccination is now being given on a case-by-case basis. However, no sick child is being vaccinated,” he said.
He added that between March 15 and May 19, 118 measles cases were detected across 10 districts of Khulna division, while 4,329 suspected cases were recorded.
Of these, 3,912 patients were hospitalised and 3,506 recovered and returned home.
He said 21 deaths had been reported, including 12 in Kushtia, five in Khulna, two in Jhenaidah, and one each in Chuadanga and Meherpur.
