Thakurgaon, Panchagarh hospitals struggle to cope with child patients

The number of child patients has shot up at hospitals in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts as cold-related diseases including cough, fever, respiratory infections, diarrhoea spread due to fluctuation of temperature between day and night time.

Failing to make a space inside of the child ward, the guardians were seen attending their ailing children in the hospital's compound under trees.

In the last two days, at least 203 patients were admitted to the children's ward of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital although there are only 45 seats at the ward.

In Panchagarh, 39 patients were admitted at Panchagarh Sadar Hospital against 12 beds.

During a visit on Thursday, this correspondent saw a single bed being shared by three, four patients, most of them were forced to stay on the verandah and corridor. Those who failed to make a space inside the hospital with their ailing children were seen staying under trees in Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital's compound.

Besides, over 200 patients receiving treatment at the outdoor every day. Most of them suffering from cold-related diseases, hospital sources said.

The number of child patients with fever, cough and other cold-related diseases saw a sharp rise as the kids are most vulnerable to the situation when the temperature falls or goes up sharply, doctors at the hospital said.

"I admitted my pneumonia-affected two and a half months old son to the hospital on Wednesday morning. We are staying on the corridor due to shortage of space in the children's ward," said Amena Khatun of velajan village under Sadar upazila.

Saleha Begum of Radhanagar village in Atwary upazila of Panchagarh admitted her one-year-old son with infection in the respiratory tract on Thursday. She is also staying in the hospital's corridor.

Nonita Bala of Koshalbari village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila came to the hospital on Thursday morning with her 10-month-old baby with breathing complications. They were staying under the tree in the compound as she failed to make a space inside the ward for them.

Dr Shajahan Newaj, consultant of the hospital for children, said the hospital is struggling to cope with the surge of child patients suffering from cold-related diseases.

"Fluctuation of temperature between day and night causes bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. Children are more vulnerable to these infections because their immune system is weak. If the patients come to the hospital in time it is easy to give treatment. The situation is likely to improve within two or three days as the weather is becoming normal," he said. He advised parents to feed their children liquid foods enriched with vitamin C.

Replying to a query Dr Shajahan said usually 60 to 70 patients stay in the children ward but now the number has reached around 200.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) keeps a record of temperature regularly. In the record book, it was learnt that the highest temperature was 36 degrees Celsius while the lowest was 25 degrees Celsius in the current week.