Fatal Measles Outbreak Claims Two More Children

Two more children have tragically died while receiving treatment for haem at the isolation ward of Kushtia Medical College Hospital, raising growing concern over the outbreak in the district.

According to hospital officials, the deaths occurred between 9:30 pm and 12:30 am on Friday, 3 April. This brings the total number of child fatalities in the district exhibiting haem symptoms to four.

The deceased children include eight-month-old Ibrahim, son of Chonchol Hossain from Daulatpur Upazila, and five-month-and-twenty-day-old Aija, daughter of Mominur Rahman from the Renwick area of Kushtia town. Ibrahim was admitted on Friday afternoon showing symptoms of haem and pneumonia, while Aija had been under treatment since 30 March. Earlier on Friday morning, another eight-month-old child, Afran, also succumbed to the disease.

Hospital authorities provided details of the recent admissions:

Dr Hosain Imam, Resident Medical Officer at the hospital, stated, “Ibrahim was admitted at 3:30 pm on Friday due to haem and pneumonia. Despite intensive care, his condition deteriorated rapidly.”

Meanwhile, Dr A H M Anwarul Islam, Deputy Director of the hospital, noted that Aija had been receiving treatment for several days but could not survive the severity of the infection.

Health department data reveals that in the last 24 hours, 20 new patients have been admitted to hospitals in Kushtia exhibiting haem symptoms. To date, 320 cases of haem infection have been identified in the district. Currently, 230 patients remain hospitalised across various facilities, with doctors reporting that the condition of five to six children is critical.

The ongoing outbreak has raised serious concerns among parents and health officials, prompting urgent calls for heightened surveillance, vaccination drives, and immediate medical interventions to prevent further fatalities.