MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital

Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College & Hospital

Address: Medical Road, Kajolshah, Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Historical Background & Establishment

• Origins and Evolution:

  • Began as an institutional hospital in 1936, later upgraded to serve British and allied forces during WWII. It transitioned into a medical school in 1948. In 1962, it was elevated to a full-fledged medical college and was renamed in 1986 in honor of General Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani, a national hero of the Liberation War SOMC+1somch.gov.bdWikipedia.

  • The institution shifted to its current campus in 1978 and has since expanded considerably somch.gov.bdSOMCThe Daily Star Archive.

  • Notably, in January 1993, SOMC gained permanent recognition from the UK General Medical Council (GMC) SOMCThe Daily Star Archive.

Campus & Infrastructure

• Campus Layout: The institution spans over 206,355 m² (~51 acres), featuring both older and newer buildings, with student housing comprising ten hostels (six for males, four for females) WikipediaThe Daily Star Archive.

Academic & Teaching Facilities

• Departments:

  • Basic Sciences: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine SOMC.

  • Medicine & Allied: Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Psychiatry, Hepatology, Respiratory Medicine, Pediatrics SOMC.

  • Surgical Departments: Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Anesthesiology SOMC.

  • Other Units: Gynecology & Obstetrics, Dental, Radiology & Imaging, Radiotherapy, Blood Transfusion, Pathology, etc. SOMC.

• Teaching Infrastructure (per teaching mode):

  • 3 lecture theatres, 26 tutorial/seminar rooms

  • Dissection room, 13 laboratories across basic sciences

  • Anatomy & Pathology museums, one autopsy room

  • Medical Education Unit, Skill Center, and BMRC Cell SOMC.

• Library:

  • Located above the administrative block, encompassing ~1,080 sqm with a seating capacity of 140. Open from 8 AM to 10 PM on working days.

  • Houses over 25,000 books, including medical journals; also partners with national and public libraries for resource sharing SOMC.

Hospital Scale & Medical Services

• Bed Capacity & Departments:

  • Features a total of 900 sanctioned beds, including various categories like paying/non-paying with food facilities SOMC.

  • Key inpatient departments include Medicine (4 units), Surgery (4 units), Pediatric Surgery (2 units), Cardiology, Psychiatry, Orthopedics, Gynecology & Obstetrics (3 units), Radiotherapy, and more SOMC.

• Outpatient & Emergency Services:

  • OPD services for numerous specialties, emergency department, ambulatory care, allied clinics (e.g. family planning, immunization, disease control programs) SOMC.

• Diagnostic & Clinical Support:

  • Labs offering pathology, radiology, imaging, CT scan, MRI, endoscopy, coronary care, ultrasonography, autopsy, and more SOMC+1.

• Tertiary Referral Role:

  • SOMCH is the premier public tertiary medical facility in Sylhet Division, serving approximately 9–10 million people somch.gov.bdSOMC.

  • Bed occupancy often exceeds capacity, reaching over 110% due to resource constraints SOMC.

Academic Programs & Recognition

• Undergraduate Courses:

  • MBBS program initiated in 1962. Currently admits around 150–210 MBBS students annually, plus a BDS program since 2011 SOMC+1Wikipedia.

• Postgraduate Training:

  • Postgraduate courses have been available since 1999; departments like Pediatrics run MD and DCH courses SOMC+1.

• Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Affiliated with Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and Sylhet Medical University Wikipedia+1.

  • Recognized by academic councils such as BMDC and previously GMC SOMCWikipedia.

Digital Transformation & Leadership

• Digital Services:

  • In February 2024, a 31-module Health Service Management System was launched for online patient registration and electronic health records under the “Digital Sylhet City” initiative digibangla.news.

• Leadership Impact:

  • Under the direction of Brigadier General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan (since February 2022), the hospital underwent major reforms: improved cleanliness, elimination of broker systems, infrastructure upgrades, expanded ICU capacity, and resilience during floods—ensuring all critical machinery remained functional despite challenges newsvision.uk.