Child showing ‘measles symptoms’ dies at Chittagong Medical

It is the second death of a child with measles-like symptoms at Chittagong Medical in the past two days

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Another child has died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) while undergoing treatment for symptoms consistent with measles.

The 9-month-old child died while undergoing treatment at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of CMCH on Wednesday night.

The deceased child was a resident of Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar. Two children with measles symptoms have now died at the hospital over the past two days.

CMCH Director Mohammed Taslim Uddin told bdnews24.com, "The child was brought here from the private Parkview Hospital [on Wednesday] evening. He was then taken to the ICU. The child died during the night.

"The child was admitted with measles symptoms. Although a sample was collected and sent to Dhaka, we have not received the report yet."

Previously, a 6-month-old child died while undergoing treatment at CMCH on Tuesday. The child was also a resident of Cox's Bazar district.

So far, 76 patients with measles, or measles-like symptoms, have been admitted to hospitals in Chattogram. Of these, 40 are admitted to CMCH.

Measles has been detected in samples from eight children in the district. Of those who tested positive, six are residents of the city and two are residents of Upazilas.

In addition, samples of 20 people from the Chattogram district were sent to Dhaka on Wednesday for measles tests. Previously, samples from 91 people had been sent to Dhaka as of Monday.

In total, samples from 111 people have been sent to the National Polio and Measles-Rubella Laboratory (NPML) of the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Dhaka for tests.

Anyone experiencing any symptoms like fever, cold, cough, rash and watery eyes should immediately consult a doctor and if the fever does not subside or other complications occur, the patient should seek hospital admission, according to Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Jahangir Alam.

Children who have been infected with measles or have symptoms consistent with the disease are being treated at the measles corner of CMCH, Chattogram General Hospital, and the private Chattogram Maa-o-Shishu Hospital.

A separate corner has been opened at the Department of Paediatrics at CMCH for measles cases. Children who have been infected or admitted with symptoms of measles and pneumonia are being treated there.