9-year-old Mahmuda suffers from debilitating skin condition

For the whole of her life, nine-year-old Mahmuda Akter from Kamdevpur village in Biral upazila of Dinajpur has suffered from an undiagnosed skin condition. Her young body is covered in abscesses that often bleed and never entirely heal. Her swollen fingers and toes appear fused.

Mahmuda's parents, rickshaw driver Abdur Rahim and housewife Shahida Begum, are beside themselves with worry. They long for government help. They don't know what to do. Every time Mahmuda screams in pain, relief from her suffering seems as distant as ever.

Mahmuda's parents told The Daily Star they first discovered abscesses on the younger of their two daughters shortly after her birth. Each abscess was abnormally large, and full of fluid and pus, they said.

“Her abscesses continue to grow until they are damaged and drained,” says her father Rahim.

“But after that the abscess never fully heals. Nowadays her whole body is covered with them and they often bleed.”

“At first sight it looks as though she was born without fingers and toes,” says Shahida, tearfully.

“On both hands and feet, her fingers and toes look fused.”

According to her mother, Mahmuda's suffering is the worst in summer. “When the weather is hot she can't even wear clothes,” Shahida remarks. “She feels unbearable itching over her entire body. Neither can she sleep. My daughter often cries out from the pain.”

Four years ago Mahmuda's parents took her to Biral upazila health complex but they were unable to assist her. Later, in 2014, on advice from neighbours, they took her to the Lamb hospital across the district in Parbatipur upazila in the belief that the foreign doctors working there might have more success. But the girl's condition remains undiagnosed.

In February last year they tried a dermatologist at M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital in Dinajpur but, following examination, were advised to take their daughter to Dhaka.

“As a mother I just can't bear her pain anymore,” says Shahida.

Abdur says he wants to take his daughter to Dhaka but it's a trip that's financially out of reach   for the family. They hope local lawmaker Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury might help them.

“Even if we got to Dhaka,” says the father, breaking into tears, “I do not know where to go or where to stay or what her treatment cost would be.” He hopes for government assistance to save his daughter.

According to Dr Shah Md Ismail Hossain, the dermatologist consultant who examined the girl at M Abdur Rahim Medical College and Hospital in Dinajpur, Mahmuda requires medicine  costing around Tk 1,000 per month, which is quite out of reach for a father earning a meagre Tk 300 per day.

“Such patients need extreme care,” a hospital staff member advised. “Even a small injury can cause huge suffering to her. She needs to go to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital in Dhaka for the best treatment.”