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Published : 01 May 2026, 12:09 PM
A dedicated measles isolation unit has been launched in a separate building at Cumilla Medical College Hospital (CMCH) to manage the influx of young patients.
Meah Monjur Ahmed, head of the hospital’s paediatric department, confirmed that 92 children were admitted to the 30-bed unit as of Thursday night.
He noted that the situation is becoming increasingly complex as the number of children arriving with measles and related symptoms rises daily.
With the patient count nearly triple the unit's capacity, many children are receiving treatment on the floor.
Ahmed explained that while the isolation unit is operational in the new building, it is severely overstretched.
Despite the bed shortage, doctors and nurses are providing round-the-clock care with available resources.
He added that most patients are recovering and returning home, though he appealed for support from the health ministry to boost equipment levels and improve care.
The hospital grounds show a grim picture, with children being treated on mats spread across corridors, open spaces, and near lift lobbies.
Medics are forced to navigate these cramped conditions to attend to their patients.
The overcrowding has left parents and relatives in distress. Kulsum Akhtar, who travelled from Debidwar with her 48-day-old daughter Arisha, shared her anxiety over the baby's breathing difficulties.
She mentioned that her husband is abroad and she is managing alone, adding that the hospital's oxygen supply is intermittent.
In the same ward, Lucky Akhtar from Burichang said she had to spend Tk 10,000 to buy an oxygen cylinder privately because the hospital lacked sufficient supply.
Dr Ahmed reiterated that measles patients cannot be kept in general wards due to the high risk of cross-infection, following health directorate guidelines.
He maintained that while many are on the floor, no patient is being neglected and the majority of those currently admitted are in stable condition.
The unit currently operates with three oxygen concentrators but lacks suction machines, according to Makshuda Akhtar, the nurse in charge of the isolation ward.
She noted that the shortage is making their work “extremely difficult” and called for more beds and essential machinery to handle the daily increase in admissions.
Jamal Hossain, a resident of Sadar Dakshin, expressed his frustration at having to buy everything from syringes to oxygen from outside pharmacies.
He urged the government to make all services free for children in this unit, though he noted the separate building at least offers better ventilation.
Up to Apr 30 this year, more than 11,000 measles and suspected cases have been recorded in Cumilla, with 770 hospitalised, 618 recovered, and five children dead.
