Khulna child hospital overrun after flu attack

Hundreds of children are being deprived of immediate care as Khulna Shishu Hospital is overflowing with patients after a recent outbreak of viral fever.

Due to the overcrowding, many children have to go to Khulna Medical College Hospital and Khulna General Hospital but they, too, are struggling to manage their own patients.

Tamanna Tabassum, 8, a second grader of Shipyard area, caught flu was admitted to Khulna Shishu Hospital on November 12. Her younger brother Rakib, 4, fell sick a few days later. Both are undergoing treatment in cabin-206.

Their mother Roksana Begum said, “My daughter suddenly felt cold-related complications. When her condition got worse, we took her to Khulna Shishu Hospital.”

Al Amin Rakib, administrative officer of Khulna Shishu Hospital, said all 275 beds and 44 cabins available at the hospital were filled by child patients. “No new patient can be admitted without an empty bed. So, they are going to another hospital,” he told The Daily Star.

In the one week from November 17 to 23, a total of 341 children were admitted to the hospital, and 27 of them were seriously ill, he said. In addition, 582 took treatment at the outdoor section and 2,436 more from the medical officer in the period, he added.

Dr S Ahasan, child specialist at the hospital, said a sudden change in temperature is responsible for the spread of the viral fever, and it takes at least a week to recover.

“Recently there has been an outbreak of the fever, and children are getting increasingly affected,” he said. “Parents should not be anxious because it's not a fever in real sense. And one should not take antibiotics after getting affected with this fever.”

ATM Monzur Morshed, superintendent of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said not only children, the adult people are also getting affected by the fever. “A sunny day and a cold night make a favourable condition for an outbreak of the fever,” he said.

Patients generally have headache and feel nausea when they get the fever, he added, and advised parents to go to doctors and feed liquid food and soup to their children.