Infant Dies After Measles Symptoms

An eight-month-old infant has died in Kushtia after exhibiting symptoms consistent with measles while receiving treatment at a local medical facility. The child, identified as Afran, son of Al Amin, was a resident of Vadalya village in Kushtia Sadar Upazila.

According to medical officials, the infant was admitted to the Kushtia Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. He passed away at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Friday while undergoing treatment. Hospital authorities confirmed that the child had shown severe complications from the time of admission and his condition continued to deteriorate despite medical intervention.

A senior hospital official stated that the child was suspected to be suffering from measles-related complications upon arrival. Due to the seriousness of his condition, doctors recommended that he be transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment. However, the family reportedly did not proceed with the referral. The hospital continued providing available supportive care within its capacity until the child’s death in the early hours of the morning.

The infant’s father, Al Amin, described that the child initially developed symptoms including fever, cold, and red rash-like spots across the body. He first sought medical attention at a private consultation chamber in Kushtia, after which he was advised to admit the child to hospital immediately. The child was subsequently taken to the medical college hospital for treatment.

The father further alleged that his son’s condition worsened significantly on Thursday. He claimed that during the early hours when the situation became critical, medical staff were called but did not respond adequately. These claims, however, have not been independently verified by hospital authorities.

Attempts to obtain an official statement from the hospital’s director were unsuccessful as his mobile phone remained switched off. Similarly, a physician from the paediatrics department, when contacted, disconnected the call and did not respond to further attempts.

Key Details

Medical experts note that measles can become life-threatening in infants if complications such as pneumonia or severe infection develop, particularly when timely specialised care is not accessible. The incident has raised renewed concerns regarding emergency response capacity and referral system efficiency in district-level hospitals.

Authorities have not yet announced whether an official investigation will be conducted into the treatment process or the allegations raised by the family.