Cox's Bazar Medical College (Bengali: কক্সবাজার মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a government medical school in Bangladesh, established in 2008. It is located in Cox's Bazar.There are two separate Hostels for Male & Female students with all sorts of facilities. The students can perform all sorts of their professional competence at 250 bedded Cox's Bazar District Sadar Hospital, the temporary facility for Medical College Hospital. It has all the major branches of medical education.
ABSTRACT Background Dengue emerged as a new public health threat in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2021 and expanded into large-scale upsurges in subsequent years. Evidence on dengue epidemiology and clinical presentation in protracted refugee settings remains limited, despite the need for stronger outbreak preparedness and case management in these contexts. Objectives To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic characteristics of the dengue upsurge among Rohingya refugees and surrounding host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and to identify predictors of inpatient admission and diagnostic positivity patterns. Methods This retrospective observational study used anonymized surveillance data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) dengue patient database. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT)–confirmed dengue cases identified across 36 IOM-supported health facilities in Ukhiya and Teknaf between 1 October 2021 and 31 December 2024 were included. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables were summarized using descriptive statistics. Weekly incidence was aggregated by epidemiological week and calendar year, and epidemic growth and decay phases were modelled using phase-specific Poisson regression. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of inpatient admission and to examine associations between delay in presentation and RDT positivity patterns, adjusting for age and sex. Results A total of 35,581 RDT-confirmed dengue cases were reported, of which 90.2% occurred among Rohingya refugees. The median age was 17 years (IQR 7–30), and 46.0% of cases were among children aged 0–14 years. Annual caseload increased from 1,011 in 2021 to 11,752 in 2022, 10,669 in 2023 and 12,149 in 2024, with seasonal peaks during the monsoon period and progressively later peaks and longer epidemic tails over time. Poisson models showed decreasing growth rates across years (r=0.449 in 2021 to r=0.091 in 2024) with increasing doubling times, while decay rates remained broadly comparable (halving time ∼4.4–6.0 weeks). Overall, 8.0% of cases required inpatient admission, 1.3% were referred, and four deaths were reported (case fatality <0.1%). In multivariable analysis, inpatient admission was associated with older age (≥60 vs 0–14: aOR 2.31), delayed presentation (aOR 1.06 per day), refugee status (aOR 1.39), presence of any World Health Organization (WHO) warning sign (aOR 26.60), low systolic BP (aOR 2.84) and chronic co-morbidity (aOR 6.07). In addition, males had lower odds of admission than females (aOR 0.88). NS1 antigen alone was positive in 62.1% of cases, IgM alone in 33.6%, and dual positivity in 4.3%. Longer delay from symptom onset to presentation was strongly associated with IgM-only positivity compared with NS1-only positivity (adjusted models controlling for age and sex). Conclusion Sustained dengue preparedness is required in Cox’s Bazar, including strengthened surveillance, community-based early referral, targeted monitoring of high-risk groups, environmental vector control, and phase-appropriate use of NS1 and IgM/IgG diagnostics to reduce missed diagnoses and prevent progression to severe disease. These findings highlight the need for a policy shift from episodic outbreak response toward sustained dengue preparedness in humanitarian settings, including strengthened surveillance systems, integrated diagnostic strategies, community-based early referral, and coordinated vector control interventions.
Older people are likely to be managing multiple medications, multiple chronic conditions, and reduced physiological reserve, and often experience substantial symptoms from RA. While pharmacological disease-modifying agents are key to RA treatment, they are mostly directed against the underlying inflammation rather than pain. Hence, non-pharmacological add-on tools that can be incorporated into the normal nursing routine have clinical relevance and have not been well studied in the elderly RA population. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of structured back massage as a type of nurse-delivered intervention for the reduction of chronic pain in an elderly patient with long-standing RA. A qualitative-quantitative single-subject case study was used that lasted for four consecutive weeks. Eight weeks of structured back massage (twice a week for 30-40 min) were conducted on a 74-year-old woman with an 11-year history of seropositive RA. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used pre- and post-session for the assessment of pain intensity. Secondary outcomes were the duration of morning stiffness, as-needed (PRN) analgesic use, and patient-reported functional domain ratings, which were assessed at weeks two and four using structured interviews. The overall reduction in VAS pain scores, from a baseline of 7.8 to a post-intervention VAS of 2.6, was 66.7%. The duration of morning stiffness decreased from 87 minutes to 31 minutes (64.4% reduction). The number of doses of PRN analgesics was halved —from five doses per week to one. The use of PRN analgesics was halved, from five to one dose per week. The results showed improvements reported by the patients in six functional domains, the most prominent being the decrease in pain intensity perception, improvement in mood, and increase in activity tolerance. This elderly patient with RA had clinically significant decreases in pain and stiffness after receiving massage without any adverse effects. The results of this study suggest that massage therapy should be included in individualized care plans for older adults with RA. There is need for larger controlled trials to determine generalizability and optimum protocol parameters.
Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a critical public health challenge globally, with particular concern for vulnerable populations like Rohingya refugee or forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMNs) residing in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of HBV among Rohingya refugees admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Medicine, Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital from August 2018 to January 2019. A total of 384 hospital admitted Rohingya refugees were enrolled following informed written consent. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews and laboratory analyses of blood samples for HBsAg. Collected data were analysed by the statistical software SPSS version 22. Results The mean age of study patients was 44.96 ± 15.62 (SD) years, with a slight female predominance (51.6% female vs. 48.4% male). The frequency of positive HBsAg cases was 3.1%. Among the study population, the most common potential risk factors identified were body piercing (46.6%), tobacco consumption (40.4%), and injection drug use (40%). However, a statistical association of positive HBsAg cases was observed only with low monthly income (< 10,000 Bangladesh Tk) ( p <.05) and unsafe blood transfusions ( p <.05). Conclusion In this study, seropositivity for hepatitis B virus was observed in 3.1% that needs to be addressed and treated properly. Appropriate strategic measures are advised to prevent further transmission.
About one million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN)/Rohingya refugees live in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, experiencing recurring vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks despite established vaccination programs. This scoping review focused on the evidence for individual and context barriers, drivers, and interventions for childhood vaccination uptake of FDMN/Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. Four databases and grey literature were systematically searched. Theoretical frameworks were used to organize findings. 4,014 records were screened, and 21 articles included. The literature was heterogenous. Barriers and drivers for FDMN/Rohingya refugees receiving vaccination focused on motivation relating to trust, beliefs and fears (19 barriers and drivers in 11 articles), accessibility and information availability (19 barriers and drivers in 11 articles), as well as knowledge and ability (eight barriers and drivers in nine articles), and socio-cultural and gender-related norms and social support (seven barriers and drivers in eight articles). For health service providers facilitating vaccinations, context factors, such as the availability of vaccines and staff, were most frequently identified (13 barriers and drivers in 12 articles). Interventions mostly related to vaccination campaigns and information/education. They often lacked detail and formal evaluations. Future research and interventions on childhood vaccination should consider barriers and drivers for health service providers, the diversity of the camp population, and explore the role of community/religious leaders and gender-related social norms. Additionally, the reporting and evaluation of interventions should be strengthened.Systematic review registrationhttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N6D3URL; https://osf.io/n6d3z.
