Dengue surge chokes Suhrawardy hospital

The Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka is facing growing pressure from dengue patients, with the number of admissions exceeding the facility’s designated bed capacity for such cases.
However, hospital authorities assure that they are not turning away any dengue patient and are trying to accommodate them in available beds, on floors and in other spaces when necessary.
According to to the hospital’s Deputy Director Dr Nanda Dulal Saha, around 247 dengue patients are currently admitted against about 191 designated dengue beds.
“The number of dengue patients is increasing, but it has not reached a situation of extreme overcrowding. We are not turning away any dengue patient. We are providing treatment wherever possible – in beds, on floors or wherever we can accommodate them,” he said.
“Our target is to ensure that no patient is sent back without treatment,” Nanda said.
The situation is particularly challenging for children, with more than 30 paediatric dengue patients currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
As there are no separate dedicated dengue beds for children, they are currently being accommodated in line with their health’s condition and the availability of space.
Nanda said the hospital is already dealing with a significant number of measles cases among children, while the rise in dengue adds further pressure. “Measles is already putting considerable pressure on us, and now dengue is adding to it. We are trying our best to manage the situation,” he added while pointing out that the hospital has separate wards for measles patients but the overall pressure on paediatric services remains high.
Nanda informed that dengue cases had declined for some time but recently started rising again.
The deputy director said his hospital is not alone in its struggles though as medical facilities nationwide are grappling with dengue and other illnesses, including pneumonia among children.
 “We have to deal with the pressure of measles, dengue and pneumonia at the same time and a similar situation is being seen in hospitals across the country,” he said.
Echoing the same, Dr Jannat Ara, a paediatrician at the hospital, said measles remains a major concern for children at a time when dengue cases are rising again.
According to Jannat, measles cases had declined somewhat previously but are now increasing again. She identified low vaccination rates as a key factor behind the continued spread of the disease.
“Many children still have not received the measles vaccine. Despite the government providing free vaccines, many people are unaware it is available free of charge,” she said.
Jannat said the fact that children are arriving at the hospital from different parts of the country exposes the gaps in public awareness about the government’s free vaccination programme.
She particularly mentioned Cumilla and Madaripur, saying she had treated several children from these areas whose families were unaware of the availability of free vaccination.
“As a result, the number of measles patients is increasing further,” she said.
Jannat called for stronger public awareness campaigns about the free vaccination programme and urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children receive the necessary jabs.