Over 100 children treated on floor at 22-bed Chuadanga hospital

More than 100 children are currently receiving treatment at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital’s 22-bed paediatric ward, forcing many patients to be treated on the floor amid a sharp rise in admissions.

Hospital authorities said 320 children were admitted to the ward in the seven days from August 19 to 25. The ward has only 22 beds, including 20 general beds and two cabins.

According to hospital data, 54 children were admitted on August 19, 53 on August 20, 37 on August 21, 56 on August 22, 41 on August 23, 37 on August 24 and 42 on August 25.

As of Tuesday, 105 children were admitted to the ward, leaving it severely overcrowded. With all designated beds occupied, many children are being treated on mattresses placed on the floor.

A visit to the ward on Tuesday found patients occupying all available beds, while children and their family members were staying beside beds or in vacant spaces on the floor. The overcrowding has created an uncomfortable environment and made it difficult for doctors and nurses to provide care.

Family members also have to remain in the ward for extended periods, further increasing the pressure on the limited space.

Dolly Khatun, grandmother of four-month-old Jaber Hossain, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital, said her grandson had pneumonia.

“We consulted a paediatrician for three to four days and followed the prescribed medicines and injections at home. But his condition did not improve much, so we brought him to the hospital and admitted him,” she said.

The father of one-month-old Raihan said his son had been suffering from a cold and fever for about a week. After treatment at Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex failed to improve his condition, they brought him to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital.

Residential Medical Officer Farhana Wahid Tani said the recent spell of extreme heat and changing weather conditions has contributed to an increase in pneumonia, cold-related illnesses and other diseases among children.

“Children are sweating more because of the heat, while changes in weather are causing various illnesses. As a result, the number of patients in the paediatric ward has increased significantly over the past few days,” she said.

She said the ward has only 22 designated beds, while the number of patients is several times higher on many days.

“We are sometimes forced to treat additional patients on the floor. Doctors and nurses are also working under considerable pressure, while the available manpower is far below what is required for the number of patients,” she said.

According to Tani, the hospital needs additional beds and staff to cope with the growing number of paediatric patients and ensure better treatment conditions.

“The current situation is causing considerable suffering for the patients and their family members,” she added.

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