Child patients surge as cold bites

The number of child patients suffering from cold-related illnesses has been rising steadily at Jamalpur General Hospital, with the paediatric ward becoming increasingly crowded as temperatures drop. 

Hospital sources said most children currently admitted to the ward are suffering from pneumonia, cold and fever, or diarrhoea. With admissions continuing to climb, two to three children are often treated on a single bed.

Eight-month-old Khadija is among the patients receiving treatment. She was admitted with pneumonia last Thursday morning.

Khadija’s mother, Happy Begum, said her daughter’s condition has improved since admission. “After the cold intensified, my child fell sick. Medicines from the local pharmacy did not help. Now she is better, but the ward is overcrowded,” she said.

Doctors said the number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases has increased sharply with the fall in temperature, affecting children and elderly people the most.

According to hospital records, a total of 553 patients were admitted to the hospital on Thursday. Of them, 142 were children suffering from pneumonia, cold and fever, or diarrhoea. Although the paediatric ward has only 24 beds, 111 children were admitted there, while 45 children were receiving treatment at the 24-bed paediatric special care unit. Another 31 children were admitted to the diarrhoea ward.

The growing number of paediatric patients has also highlighted staffing shortages at the hospital. Of the 71 sanctioned posts for physicians, only 36 are currently filled. The paediatric department has three specialists -- one junior consultant and two medical officers -- while the post of senior consultant has remained vacant for a long time.

Nurse Sadia Akter said the patient load has been increasing every day. “Most children are suffering from cold and fever. Managing so many patients at once is extremely challenging,” she said. 

Assistant Director of the hospital, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, said, “Every year, the number of patients rises during winter. This year is no exception, with a noticeable increase in cold-related illnesses. However, the number of admitted children is nearly three times higher than the available paediatric beds.”