Measles outbreak leaves Sunamganj family grieving son while daughter fights for life

After running out of rice to sell and loans from relatives, the father has turned to local loan sharks

The brief joy of welcoming twins -- a boy and a girl -- has turned to grief for a Sunamganj couple after suspected measles claimed their son's life, leaving their daughter fighting for survival in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Ataur Rahman, a construction worker from Sunamganj Sadar Upazila, and his wife Lucky Begum, 29, are mourning the loss of their 6-and-half-a-month-old son, Adil, identified with a single name.

Without a moment to grieve, they are now channelling all their resources and energy into saving his twin sister, identified only as Nusaifa.

Ataur has sold his stock of rice and borrowed heavily from relatives. He has now turned to high-interest loans from local moneylenders.

On Sunday, Ataur stood outside the ICU window at the Shahid Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital in Sylhet, trying to catch a glimpse of his daughter.

"My girl is admitted here. The boy is gone," he told bdnews24.com with tearful eyes.

"Her condition remains unchanged."

Both twins developed high fevers simultaneously, the father recalled.

After 14 days of treatment at Sunamganj Hospital, they were transferred to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Three days later, Adil required intensive care, prompting his transfer to a private facility in Sylhet city.

Adil passed away on May 15 from a fever, breathing difficulties, and pneumonia.

Doctors confirmed he had contracted measles.

"The day after we buried my son, my daughter still had a fever, so I took her to Sylhet Women's Medical College," Ataur recounted.

After a five-day stay there, she was moved to the Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital on Thursday evening for ICU facility around 1am.

"She has a fever, rashes, breathing problems, and pneumonia. It’s measles, brother. There has been no significant improvement over the last three days, and we are frightened,” Ataur said.

The father added that the twins had received their first dose of the measles vaccine at six months of age but missed subsequent doses due to a fever.

Lucky described the family's ordeal over the past month.

"We have spent a fortune at the private hospital, and the expenses keep rising," she said.

"This morning, doctors briefly removed her oxygen mask as she seemed better, but they had to put it back on when her condition deteriorated. The doctors told us to pray. We are barely hanging on."

Mizanur Rahman, resident medical officer at Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital, noted that the majority of fatalities and admissions are coming from all over the Upazila.

"To control this outbreak, we must intensify the immunisation drive," Rahman emphasised.

The outbreak claimed another life in Sylhet Division on Sunday.

With this latest fatality, the total number of deaths from measles and measles-related symptoms across the four districts of the Sylhet division has reached 52.