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Published : 04 May 2026, 05:01 PM
Eight-month-old Alif has been receiving oxygen through a tube. He lies in his grandfather’s lap, barely moving.
Measles rashes have spread across his body, leaving him exhausted. His parents look helpless.
At 2:30pm on Monday, they were at the emergency department of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute.
Alif’s mother, Tonni, said: “There are no beds available here, so they are not admitting anyone. They asked us to go somewhere else. We have been looking, but we cannot find a hospital bed anywhere. I have no idea what I should do now.”
On Mar 23, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued an emergency directive saying no hospital in the country would be allowed to turn away patients with measles or measles symptoms.
It also called for an increase in beds at government hospitals to cope with the patient inflow.
Alif’s father, Jewel Bepari, said: “My son has had a fever for a week. After being admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for four days, he was referred to Dhaka for advanced treatment. But after coming to Dhaka, I could not find a vacant hospital bed anywhere. So I am sitting on the balcony of this hospital. I do not even know what to do.”
He said he came to Dhaka from Barishal on Monday morning.
“Then I made inquiries here at Shishu Hospital, but they had no beds available and could not admit my child. Later, they referred us to Suhrawardy and Dhaka Medical. I asked at those hospitals too, but none of them had any vacant space.”
The father said he was compelled to admit his son to a private hospital in Shyamoli.
“But they charged us more than Tk 10,000 in an hour. We are poor and do not have that much money. So we were forced to come back to Shishu Hospital.”
Jewel added, “I thought we would get proper treatment after arriving in Dhaka, but I cannot even get my son admitted. I have been waiting at Shishu Hospital since noon. They say they will admit him if a bed becomes available. So I am sitting on the balcony, hoping he will be admitted.”
Asked about the matter, Dr Riazul Islam, head of the emergency department, said: “We do not want to turn anyone away. But currently, we are not in a position to admit patients. So they are being referred to other hospitals.”
Asked about the DGHS directive, Riazul said they were aware of it.
“Our director sir will be the best person to discuss it.”
Prof Mahbubul Alam, the new director of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, also known as Dhaka Shishu Hospital, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.
