Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital (HFRCMCH) has introduced a new milestone in Bangladesh’s measles prevention and treatment efforts by formally publishing the country’s first institutional disease-specific clinical guideline, titled ‘Measles Treatment Guidelines’.
The guideline was officially launched on Tuesday morning at an event held at the auditorium of HFRCMCH in the capital. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain inaugurated the publication as chief guest.
The evidence-based guideline has been developed to improve the quality and coordination of measles diagnosis, treatment, and complication management. Officials involved with the initiative said that while disease-specific clinical guidelines have long been used in many countries, this marks the first institutional effort of its kind by a medical organization in Bangladesh.
Speakers at the event said measles remains a major public health challenge in Bangladesh. They noted that a standardized guideline had long been needed to ensure effective prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of the disease. They said the new guideline would play an important role in addressing that gap.
The event, chaired by Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Principal Professor Dr KM Mojibul Haque, was attended by several special guests, including Professor Dr Harun-or-Rashid, President of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), DAB Secretary General Dr Zahirul Islam Shakil, Acting Director of Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital Professor Dr Shaheen Rahman Chowdhury, and Vice Principal Professor Dr Meherun Nessa.
During the program, Assistant Professor Dr Farhana Haque of the Community Medicine Department presented a report on hospital-related issues. Later, Associate Professor Dr Sayem Mohammad of the Department of Medicine delivered the keynote presentation on the country’s first institutional measles treatment guideline.
The 50-page guideline, developed with 14 clinical modules, was jointly edited by Dr. Farhana Haque and Dr Sayem Mohammad.
The guideline includes several key treatment recommendations, including avoiding the use of corticosteroids for measles-related pneumonia, avoiding steroid eye drops for eye complications, and not relying solely on dextrose saline in cases of severe dehydration. The keynote presentation noted that incorrect treatments in the past had resulted in numerous patient deaths.
Officials involved in the initiative said Bangladesh had previously lacked any standardized, evidence-based treatment protocol for measles and its complications in hospitals or healthcare institutions. They urged the government to adopt the guideline as the country’s national measles treatment protocol.
Recommendations were also made to make isolation rooms and infection-control standards mandatory in the hospital accreditation process.
