Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Measles outbreak in Bangladesh is pushing thousands of low-income families into debt, unemployment and financial distress as prolonged hospital stays force breadwinners to leave work, borrow money and sell assets to survive.
In hospital isolation wards, parents say the crisis has become as much economic as medical. Health experts warn it is now a dual public health and financial emergency for vulnerable households.
“I haven’t worked for more than 15 days. I lost my job while caring for my daughter,” said Sojib Barman, a mobile phone technician from Kishoreganj, at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. His nine-month-old daughter has been admitted to four hospitals.
The family has already spent nearly Tk80,000 through loans and selling belongings. “So far, treatment is better here, but money has become our biggest problem,” he said. “Most medicines are free, but we still have to buy some from outside. Tests, transport and even food are becoming impossible to manage.” His wife and mother have stayed with the child for nine days, leaving income at zero.
A joint Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and IFRC assessment across 12 hospitals found every surveyed family needed financial support. It showed 87% borrowed money, 47% exhausted savings, and over 93% relied on informal jobs earning Tk6,000–Tk15,000 monthly before illness forced work stoppage.
“In almost every family we visited, at least one income earner had stopped working to care for a child,” said Faysal Ahmed of BDRCS. “Many families arrived in Dhaka with borrowed money and are struggling even to buy food while paying for medical tests.”
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data shows over 100,000 suspected measles cases since April 15, with nearly 84,000 hospitalisations and more than 738 deaths, including confirmed and suspected cases.
At the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) dedicated Covid-19 Hospital, Khaled Hasan, a restaurant worker from Thakurgaon, said: “I took one week’s leave, but I’ve already been here for nine days. Someone told me another worker has been hired.” His family has spent over Tk50,000; “My wife borrowed Tk10,000 from her parents yesterday.”
Al-Amin Hossain, a transport worker from Barishal, said: “I had no income for a month. Everything was managed through loans. Even buying food became difficult until I received Tk10,000 from the Red Crescent.”
Some families reported spending over Tk150,000 after shifting between private hospitals before reaching government facilities.
Experts say the outbreak exposes the lack of financial protection for poor households. “Many are borrowing at high interest, selling assets or exhausting their savings,” said Professor Syed Abdul Hamid of the University of Dhaka. “The financial consequences can last long after the child recovers.”
He called for a National Health Fund and stronger district hospitals to reduce costly referrals to Dhaka.
While DGHS says medicines are available in government hospitals, families say major costs come from tests, transport, accommodation and daily expenses. The IFRC-BDRCS report found 34% needed medicines, 22% WASH support, and 19% food aid.
Back in hospital, Barman said: “I can find another job later. Right now, I just want my daughter to survive.”