Measles surge in BD amid ICU shortage, vaccine gaps

A worrying outbreak of measles is rapidly spreading across the Rajshahi region, raising serious public health concerns. Shortages of intensive care units (ICU), inadequate isolation facilities, and gaps in vaccination coverage have combined to create a critical situation.

Health experts warn that without urgent intervention, the outbreak could escalate into a major health crisis.

According to sources at Rajshahi Medical College (Ramec) Hospital, at least 12 children have died from measles in the past month alone.

Among them, nine children died despite receiving ICU support, while several others deceased while waiting for ICU admission—highlighting the severe shortage of critical care facilities.

On-site visits to the hospital reveal a troubling scenario.

Children with measles symptoms are often being treated in the same wards as those suffering from other illnesses.

This lack of proper isolation is increasing the risk of cross-infection.

Parents have alleged that many children contracted measles after being admitted to the hospital for unrelated conditions.

One father from Chapainawabganj said his child was admitted with pneumonia but later developed measles during the hospital stay.

Similar complaints have been echoed by other families, pointing to possible in-hospital transmission.

Although hospital authorities claim to have introduced “measles corners” in certain wards, the actual situation appears inadequate.

In many cases, only makeshift signs mark these areas, with no proper separation or infection control system in place.

The ICU crisis remains one of the most alarming aspects of the outbreak.

Since early March, at least 84 children in Rajshahi have been recommended for ICU care due to severe complications from measles.

However, due to limited capacity, many could not be admitted in time.

Health officials confirm that several deaths occurred simply because ICU support was not immediately available.

Experts say timely access to intensive care could have saved many of these young lives.

Data from the Divisional Health Directorate, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), shows a steady increase in infection rates.

As of late March, 77 out of 246 tested samples in the Rajshahi division were confirmed positive for measles—an infection rate of over 31 percent. Just days earlier, the rate stood at around 29 percent, indicating a rapid upward trend.

Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Pabna districts are currently the worst affected areas.

Doctors and public health experts identify gaps in routine immunization as a major driver of the outbreak.

Many children have either missed their scheduled measles vaccines or did not complete the full dosage.

In Bangladesh, children are supposed to receive the first dose of the measles vaccine at nine months and a second dose at 15 months.

However, many parents fail to follow up on the second dose, leaving children vulnerable to infection.

There are also reports of children contracting measles before reaching nine months of age, which further complicates prevention efforts.

The surge in measles cases has placed enormous pressure on Rajshahi’s healthcare system.

At one point, more than 700 patients were admitted to a children ward designed for only 200 beds.

Such overcrowding has made it nearly impossible to maintain proper infection control measures.

To manage the situation, hospital authorities have recently designated a separate ward as an isolation unit for measles patients.

However, experts argue that these steps are insufficient given the scale of the outbreak.