Epidemic (human)

An outbreak of highly contagious measles is spreading among children in Rajshahi region, raising public health concerns as hospitals struggle with limited intensive care facilities.Children admitted with symptoms are testing positive for measles after laboratory confirmation. Samples collected from Sadar hospitals in seven districts and four medical college hospitals are being sent to Dhaka for testing with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Critically ill children are being advised to be taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). But due to inadequate intensive care facilities, the death rate rises. On Thursday, four children were admitted to the ICU, of whom three died. On Saturday, three more children were recommended for ICU admission.According to Dr Shankar Kumar Biswas, spokesperson for Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, 12 children have died of measles this month at the hospital alone. Of them, nine died despite being admitted to the ICU, while three others died while waiting for ICU beds.Although measles is highly infectious and requires isolation, infected children are being kept in general wards due to a lack of proper facilities. Despite having a dedicated hospital in Rajshahi, no patients have yet been transferred there.Health officials report that out of 153 samples tested by March 18, 44 were confirmed measles cases, indicating an infection rate of nearly 29%. Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, and Pabna have reported the highest number of cases.
Between March 1 and March 26, 84 children were recommended for ICU care. In Pabna, 26 children were undergoing treatment in a measles ward as of Friday, though no deaths have been officially reported there. Chapainawabganj has recorded four child deaths over the past three months with 70 children undergoing treatment as of Saturday.The ICU crisis remains severe, with only 12 pediatric ICU beds available at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, none of which are government-funded. There are also allegations that death certificates often cite pneumonia or other complications instead of measles, potentially masking the true scale of the outbreak.Professor Dr Shahida Yasmin, head of the pediatric department, confirmed that WHO has already verified measles in multiple samples, with similar symptoms found in others. She noted that although the hospital has two isolation wards, they lack adequate oxygen supply. In addition, it was difficult for them to control the situation as more than 700 patients were admitted to the 200-bed hospital before Eid, she added. A similar trend has been observed at Barind Medical College Hospital, where a surge in pediatric admissions has been reported. Hospital’s Director Professor Dr Belal Uddin said 75 children were admitted to the hospital in one day, 60 of whom showed measles symptoms.Rajshahi Divisional Health Director Dr Md Habibur Rahman stated that the outbreak was first detected in the second week of March. Testing and surveillance efforts have been intensified. He confirmed that all eight districts in the division are now reporting infections, with the situation under close monitoring.