Measles cases are rising across Barishal and the southern region, creating a shortage of head masks at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal.
Due to the lack of proper equipment, children infected with measles are being given oxygen using improvised “head masks” made by cutting household plastic pots. Local journalists observed this situation in the measles isolation unit of the pediatric ward on the hospital’s second floor.
It was seen that plastic pots, commonly used in households, are cut and placed over a child’s head, with a hole made at the top to supply oxygen. The front part of the pot is covered with a towel or cloth.
Parents have raised concerns about both the health risks of this method and the hospital’s management. They say the approach is extremely dangerous, as sharp edges or pressure from the plastic could injure a child’s neck. They also questioned how a hospital with expensive equipment could lack such basic, low-cost masks.
Brigadier General Dr. Md. Mashiul Munir, Director of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, told the media that he was unaware of the practice. He acknowledged that the method is unsafe and could lead to accidents.
He assured that the required head masks would be arranged within the next 10 to 12 days.
The pediatric ward has long faced multiple challenges, including a shortage of beds, often forcing three to four children to share a single bed. The current shortage of essential oxygen masks has added to the ongoing crisis.
