Rajshahi City Corporation aims to vaccinate about 140,000 children, its administrator said on Saturday, as the city’s medical college hospital reported three more child deaths from suspected measles in the past 24 hours.

Administrator Md Mahfuzur Rahman Riton spoke after visiting Rajshahi Medical College Hospital at 11 am to inspect the measles situation. He said authorities were worried, had spoken with the hospital director and were monitoring conditions. An initiative to increase isolation beds proceeded, with the hospital already acting and the city corporation offering support.

The city corporation had already begun vaccinating about 8,000 children and distributing leaflets to alert residents, the administrator added.

Measles prevalence in Rajshahi remained lower than elsewhere in the country, he said, voicing confidence that existing vaccination efforts could contain the situation.

Separately, hospital spokesperson Dr Shankar K Biswas said 38 children had died from suspected measles this season, including three in the past 24 hours. The hospital currently has 149 suspected measles patients receiving treatment, and 377 patients have received care in the isolation ward so far.

Administrator Riton also announced plans to add 68 beds, including 37 ICU beds, at the children’s hospital, aiming to make Rajshahi Medical College Hospital self-sufficient in ICU facilities by next year.