Five-month-old Moh. Takrim died on Wednesday morning at Universal Medical College Hospital in Dhaka following complications linked to measles and multiple secondary infections. His parents, hailing from the Banglabazar area of Bhola district, were present at the hospital at the time of death and were unable to engage in coherent conversation due to distress.
Following the death, the child’s mother, Amena Begum, repeatedly expressed grief while seated in a chair inside the hospital premises. In translated remarks, she said: “I did not bring my son here like this; how will I take him home now?” and “My son will never come back to me.” She also questioned the circumstances, asking why her child had died at such an early age and apologised for any perceived hardship endured by him.
According to the father, Mohsin, the child had initially been treated in Bhola after developing fever, cough and skin rashes. He was first admitted to Bhola Sadar Hospital, after which he was repeatedly taken between hospital care, home treatment and medical consultations. Family members stated that different doctors initially diagnosed the condition as an allergy rather than measles.
Mohsin stated that despite multiple consultations, measles was not identified at an early stage. He further said that he had repeatedly questioned whether the child was suffering from measles, but was informed it was an allergic reaction. He added that had measles been identified earlier, the child would have been brought to Dhaka sooner.
As the condition worsened, Takrim was admitted to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka. Doctors there reportedly confirmed measles along with post-measles pneumonia and other complications. After two days of treatment, the child was assessed as requiring paediatric intensive care support. As no paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) bed was available in the government facility, he was transferred to Universal Medical College Hospital.
Medical staff at Universal Medical College Hospital stated that the child was admitted in a critically ill condition at a late stage of measles-related complications. He was declared dead at approximately 10:00 am on Wednesday.
The death certificate issued by the hospital listed the causes of death as post-measles pneumonia, sepsis (blood infection), encephalitis (brain infection), and potassium deficiency in the blood. It also noted a congenital heart defect described as a hole in the heart.
Treatment and transfer timeline
| Time period | Event |
|---|---|
| Initial phase (Bhola) | Fever, cough and rashes treated; admitted to Bhola Sadar Hospital |
| Subsequent period | Repeated hospital visits and home treatment; diagnosis recorded as allergy |
| Later deterioration | Condition worsened; transferred to Dhaka |
| Dhaka admission | Admitted to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital |
| After 2 days | PICU requirement identified |
| Final transfer | Shifted to Universal Medical College Hospital due to lack of government PICU bed |
| Wednesday 10:00 am | Death declared |
Family members, including the child’s maternal uncle, alleged that inadequate diagnosis and treatment in Bhola contributed to delays in appropriate care. They described the situation as involving mismanagement in local healthcare facilities, though no formal medical investigation findings were cited.
A senior registrar of the neonatal and paediatric intensive care units at Universal Medical College Hospital stated that the child was brought in a critical condition and that medical teams provided maximum possible intervention before death was declared.
Earlier, as the cost of treatment increased in the private hospital setting, the family reportedly sought assistance. Following a television report, the medical expenses were partially covered by an intervention from a government minister, who arranged payment of more than four lakh taka in hospital bills and provided an additional one lakh taka to the family through a representative.
The child’s father, an auto-rickshaw driver, said that despite financial assistance and medical intervention, the child could not be saved. After post-death formalities, the parents departed Dhaka by ambulance at approximately 2:30 pm, transporting the child’s body back to Bhola.