Don’t turn away measles patients

 Hospitals have been instructed by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to stop transferring patients with measles symptoms on account of a shortage of beds.

If necessary, hospitals must arrange additional beds, according to the notice issued on Tuesday.

Referrals will be allowed only when patients are in need of highly specialised treatment. In such instances, hospitals must follow the designated referral chain -- from upazila to district hospitals, then to medical college hospitals, and finally to specialised facilities.

The directive also warns that any deviation from these instructions will result in accountability for the head of the respective hospital.

DGHS Director (hospital) Abu Hussain Md Moinul Ahsan confirmed the issuance of the directive to The Daily Star yesterday.

Meanwhile, another patient died of measles in 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, raising this year’s death toll to 39, said the DGHS.

In addition, the DGHS recorded four more deaths with measles‑like symptoms during the same period, taking the number of suspected measles deaths to 194.

In the last 24 hours, 125 new confirmed cases were recorded, raising the total to 4,059. During the same period, 1,170 suspected measles cases were recorded, bringing the total suspected cases to 28,334.

Till yesterday, 18,845 patients were admitted to hospitals with measles and suspected measles cases; of them, 15,728 recovered and got discharged.

The instructions issued by DGHS Tuesday were sent to all directors of government medical colleges and specialised hospitals, superintendents of district sadar and general hospitals, civil surgeons, and upazila health and family planning officers.

While the circular did not specify the reason behind the move, DGHS officials said every hospital in the country has the capacity to treat measles patients, and almost all facilities are facing a surge in cases. In this situation, transferring patients would only shift the burden to another hospital and worsen patient suffering.