154 children admitted to 45-bed children's ward in Thakurgaon hospital, many treated on the floor

The children's ward of the 250-bed Thakurgaon General Hospital has 45 beds, but 154 children are currently admitted there. With patient numbers more than three times the bed capacity, many children are being treated on the floor for lack of a bed, and there are also complaints of several children sharing a single bed.

Parents are waiting in the ward holding their sick children. Some children have fever, some cold and cough, and others breathing difficulties. A visit to the hospital showed several children being treated on the floor because of the bed shortage. With the heavy patient load, the children's relatives are also struggling to move around and stay in the ward.

Nazmul, who brought his child to the hospital, said he came for treatment but there are so many patients in the ward that they cannot get a proper bed and are having to stay with great difficulty. A sick child having to stay in hospital this way is very painful, he said.

Parents also complain that even at a government hospital, they have to buy many medicines and necessary medical supplies from outside. This puts extra financial pressure on low-income families, with many having to borrow money. Treatment would be easier for them if the hospital supplied the necessary medicines and materials, they said.

Parents have also raised concerns about the environment of the children's ward. A woman named Lucky Akter said the ward and its surroundings need to be kept cleaner. With so many children in one place, they are also worried about the risk of infection. Waiting a long time for a doctor only adds to that anxiety, she said.

Hospital sources said that with the change of season, illnesses such as fever, cold and cough, diarrhoea and breathing difficulties are rising among children. Children with pneumonia are also coming to the hospital. Doctors said fluctuations in temperature are making children comparatively more ill.

Dr Md Sajjad Haider Shahin of the hospital's children's department said illnesses such as fever, cold and cough, pneumonia and diarrhoea increase among children during seasonal transitions, and temperature changes are making children more susceptible. Parents need to take extra care of their children at this time, he said, ensuring cleanliness alongside safe water and nutritious food. He advised seeking a doctor's advice quickly if symptoms such as fever or breathing difficulty appear.

Hospital superintendent Firoz Zaman Jewel said patient pressure has risen because of the seasonal change, and it is somewhat difficult to treat the extra patients with limited beds and manpower. The shortage of doctors and nurses has been reported to the authorities concerned, he said. Necessary steps have been taken to keep the supply of medicines and medical materials normal, and instructions have been given to maintain cleanliness at the hospital. Despite the limitations, efforts are under way to give patients the best possible care, he added.