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BANDARBAN: A suspected measles outbreak has spread through the remote Ruma upazila of Bandarban, where seven Khumi children have died over the past 15 days, according to local residents.
The deceased children were all from Letong Para in Ward No. 7 of Ruma Sadar Union. Six of them belonged to the same extended family.
The victims were identified as Poli Eng Khumi (7), son Pretem Eng Khumi (7), Freleng Khumi (9), Khretem Eng Khumi (13), Frele Eng Khumi (9), Khrepa Khumi (13), and Shoifrua Khumi (13).
Local resident Angsai Khumi said Freleng Khumi died on Sunday while being taken from Ruma Upazila Health Complex to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
“Six of the victims were from one family and another child belonged to a different family,” he said.
He added that two children died on the way to hospital, one died after being admitted, while the others died in the village after developing symptoms consistent with measles.
According to Angsai Khumi, Letong Para is home to about 28 Khumi families and remains extremely difficult to access. The village requires a two-hour walk from the nearest road near Boga Lake.
A visit to Ruma Upazila Health Complex on Monday found children with suspected measles being treated in an isolation ward.
Some were receiving intravenous fluids while others were under the care of family members. New patients with similar symptoms were also arriving for treatment.
Parents said children had been suffering from fever, body pain and red rashes before being admitted to hospital after home treatment failed.
Some patients who had recovered were being discharged from the hospital.
Volunteer Mongkyaching Marma said he had been assisting patients and their families by coordinating with doctors and nurses, as many guardians were unfamiliar with hospital procedures.
Vaccinator Uthowai Sing Marma said health workers recently visited Letong Para and found suspected measles symptoms among children in almost every household.
He said many families initially relied on traditional herbal remedies instead of seeking medical treatment.
Health workers vaccinated 30 to 35 children aged between one and six years against measles during the visit.
“We found three children in critical condition and advised their families to take them to hospital immediately. One of them died on the way,” he said.
When asked whether laboratory tests had confirmed measles, the vaccinator said treatment was being provided based on clinical symptoms and that he was unaware of any laboratory confirmation.
According to Ruma Upazila Health Complex, nearly 100 children with suspected measles have received treatment between June 6 and July 27.
Of them, 22 were referred to Bandarban Sadar Hospital for advanced treatment, 65 have recovered and been discharged, while 13 children remain hospitalised.
Ruma Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Abdullah Al Hasan said health workers and a vaccinator were dispatched to Letong Para immediately after receiving reports on Saturday of two child deaths with suspected measles symptoms.
The team vaccinated children aged one to five years and identified three critically ill children, advising their families to seek urgent medical treatment.
He said one of the children, six-year-old Pretem Eng Khumi, died while being carried through the mountainous terrain to the hospital.
Dr Hasan also noted that patients with similar symptoms from neighbouring Bilaichhari upazila of Rangamati seek treatment at Ruma Upazila Health Complex, adding to the pressure on the facility.