Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman has extended support to six-month-old Nur Nahar, who has been battling measles and pneumonia amid severe financial hardship, after media reports highlighted the infant’s critical condition and her mother’s desperate struggle to continue treatment.

The matter came to the attention of Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation and one of the organisers of internationally recognised voluntary organisation Suravi, after a report titled “Six-month-old battling measles in critical condition; mother has no money and does not know what to do” was published in a daily.

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After learning about the infant’s condition, she instructed that immediate medical support be arranged for Nur Nahar.

Zubaida Rahman also assigned voluntary organisation Amra BNP Poribar to oversee the matter.

As part of that initiative, a delegation of Amra BNP Poribar, led by its Member Secretary Mokhsedul Momin Mithun, visited the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Mohakhali, where the child has been admitted, on Wednesday afternoon and met her mother Swarna Akhter.

They assured the family of continued support, saying steps have already been taken to ensure advanced treatment for the child.

According to the media report, Nur Nahar, daughter of Keraniganj resident Swarna Akhter, has been undergoing treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital after being diagnosed with measles and pneumonia.

The infant’s condition deteriorated rapidly for suffering from prolonged fever, cold, cough and breathing complications.

While a healthy six-month-old baby typically weighs between 7 and 9 kg as per the World Health Organization recommendations, Nur Nahar’s weight has dropped to just 3 kg, reflecting her fragile condition.

The child’s mother has reportedly been struggling alone to continue treatment amid acute financial hardship and family neglect.

Unable to afford medical expenses, she borrowed money from neighbours to bring her daughter to hospital and was even forced at one stage to discontinue treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for lack of money.

Under such circumstances, Amra BNP Poribar came up with the humanitarian support.