Pneumonia, associated symptoms: 89 children die in 17 days at Shishu Hospital

With a cannula in her right hand, three-and-half-year-old Madeya Momtaz was receiving treatment while lying on a bed in the pneumonia ward of Dhaka Shishu Hospital.

Madeya had a cough along with fever and cold symptoms for three days before Eid-ul-Fitr. On Eid day, she got admitted to the hospital as her condition deteriorated. She was later diagnosed with pneumonia, said her mother Salma Begum.

"The sweltering heat recently left my daughter sweating a lot, from which she later caught a cold with fever, cough, and runny nose, eventually ending up with breathing difficulty," she also said.

Like Madeya, 19 other children were also seen being treated in the same ward, all of them suffering from pneumonia.

Of the 16 general beds and three cabins in the pneumonia ward at Shishu Hospital, not a single one was vacant when this correspondent visited there on Wednesday.

A total of 259 children have been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and diarrhoea this month till Wednesday, while 89 children died with pneumonia and other associated symptoms, showed Shishu Hospital's data.

Earlier in March, 57 children died with pneumonia-related symptoms.

In 24 hours till Wednesday afternoon, a total of 76 children suffering from pneumonia received treatment at the hospital's outpatient department. Of them, 25 were later admitted to the hospital.

At present, 91 children are undergoing treatment at the hospital for pneumonia.

Also, 80 children suffering from diarrhoea were treated in the outpatient department during this time. Of them, seven were later hospitalised.

Moreover, a total of 250 children have so far received treatment for common cold complications at Shishu Hospital.

With a heat wave sweeping across the country, children and elderly people have been rushing to hospitals over the last few days, with symptoms including breathing difficulty, fever, cough, pneumonia, and diarrhoea, said doctors.

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the heat wave is likely to continue throughout the rest of the month across the country. Due to that, the situation may turn worse, warned doctors.

The situation at Shishu Hospital's general ward-1 painted a grim picture in this regard. All 56 seats in the ward are occupied by child patients, most of whom are suffering from pneumonia.

In this weather, the heat causes dehydration among children, leading to symptoms like constipation, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Children's digestive capacity also decreases. Therefore, special attention should be given to children during this time.

— Suriya Begum Honorary professor, BSMMU's pediatric endocrinology department

"Many of the children admitted here are suffering from pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and diarrhoea. The critical ones have to breathe with ventilator or oxygen mask all the time," said a doctor on duty, wishing anonymity.

Md Jahangir Alam, director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said, "Every day, around 1,000-1,200 patients are coming to the hospital for treatment, most of them with pneumonia, diarrhoea, and respiratory complications."

Children are more likely to get affected by extreme heat and, therefore, are more likely to suffer from pneumonia and related symptoms, including cold, cough, fever, and diarrhoea, he said.

"As such, the number of child patients coming with pneumonia and related symptoms is on the rise at the hospital. Those in critical condition are being admitted to the hospital," he added.

Globally, pneumonia is among the top five infectious diseases that cause fatalities in children aged under five, according to data of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).

Last year, pneumonia caused 14 percent of the 0.7 million deaths among children aged under five across the world, the icddr,b data revealed.

Approximately 2-3 children die every hour and at least 24,000 die every year from pneumonia in Bangladesh, it added.

Meanwhile, the number of patients with diarrhoea and fever is also rising, with around 450-500 patients being treated daily at icddr,b hospital in Dhaka's Mohakhali, most of them being children.

"In this weather, the heat causes dehydration among children, leading to symptoms like constipation, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Children's digestive capacity also decreases. Therefore, special attention should be given to children during this time," said Suriya Begum, honorary professor of BSMMU's pediatric endocrinology department.

"Children should take plenty of water to stay healthy in extreme heat and wear loose and cotton clothes so that they don't accumulate too much sweat," she advised.