Published : 18 Aug 2026, 05:41 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:33 AM
Dengue and measles patients are being treated in separate but nearby wards on the same floor at Dhaka’s Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, a setup that has drawn criticism from public health experts over infection risks as measles is highly contagious.
Hospital authorities, however, say overcrowding has left them with little choice.
Between Jan 1 and Aug 16, 1,890 dengue patients were admitted to the hospital, according to its records.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says 70 people have died of dengue nationwide this year, including 16 in August.
A visit to the hospital on Sunday found 244 dengue patients against 140 designated beds, while 77 patients had measles or symptoms of the disease.
Former IEDCR chief scientific officer and public health expert Mushtuq Husain told bdnews24.com that measles and dengue patients should be kept as far apart as possible because the measles virus can spread rapidly.
“The number of measles patients is still not decreasing, and the virus is very contagious.
“So measles and dengue patients should be kept as far apart as possible. Otherwise, there is a risk of others getting infected with measles.”
He said a health emergency should have been declared to contain the measles outbreak, but the number of cases has remained high.
Acting Hospital Director Nanda Dulal Saha said overcrowding has made it impossible to turn patients away.
“So many patients have been kept at our hospital. We have no choice, we cannot turn the patients away.”
Asked about adding beds, Saha said the hospital was already treating around 250 patients against 140 beds.
“How can we provide space for so many patients? We are forced to try to treat or admit patients as best we can.”
