BSMMU: A beacon of hope

 
The poorest people in Bangladesh, especially those living on the streets, have no way to access treatment. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) provides medical services to those rootless people.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) has played a pioneering role in the social life of the Bengalis. This university is deeply involved in everything that has been achieved at the national level.  It is now shining as a beacon of hope for years.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, country's only university of medical education and research, was established in Dhaka in 1998. During the days of Pakistan, in East Pakistan, which is Bangladesh today, there were several medical colleges that offered the MBBS degree. There was no scope for advanced post-graduate studies in medicine. In order to create facilities for post-graduate medical education, the Institute of Post-graduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR) was established in Dhaka in 1965. The IPGMR was entrusted with postgraduate teaching and research, but was not itself a degree-awarding institution. The country's oldest university (established in 1921), the university of dhaka, awarded degrees of the IPGMR study programmes together with the MBBS degree of the medical colleges. During the late 1990s the government of Bangladesh adopted a plan to establish several new universities in sectors such as science and technology, medicine and agriculture. This resulted in the conversion of IPGMR into a full-fledged medical university through an ordinance enacted by parliament on 30 April 1998. The new university was given the name Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), after the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The BSMMU offers postgraduate degrees such as MD, MS, MPhil and PhD. It also offers diplomas in many subjects to produce trained medical technologists. It also has under its administrative umbrella the postgraduate study component of the country's 13 government medical colleges. However, the MBBS programmes of these medical colleges are not yet under the administrative control of the BSMMU. The country's state-run general universities are still the institutions controlling the MBBS degree programmes of these medical colleges. At the same time, there are now about a dozen medical colleges in the private sector offering MBBS degrees through the degree awarding mechanism of the general universities of the country.

The BSMMU is located at the 'Shahbag' area of the city of Dhaka. Next to it lies another important biomedical institution, the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (birdem). This provides easy academic interaction between these two famous institutions.

The demand made by doctor society for three decades was implemented due to her sincere initiative. The university ushered in a new horizon of medical education and healthcare services. It is the last resort for the treatment of the people of the country. BSMMU is not only the highest seat of medical education and hospital in Bangladesh but also in the subcontinent. It is a unique name of medical education, treatment and research.

The milestone organisation has achieved tremendous success in imparting higher study, promoting quality of medical education, doing administrative activities, organising cultural events, dealing historical preservation and monitoring various projects and institutes, evaluating those and giving nod.

Currently, BSMMU has 56 departments. Its bed capacity including corona unit in Betar Bhaban is 2,000. Half of the beds are allocated for poor who avail themselves of the treatment opportunity for free.

Prior to Covid-19 pandemic, 8,000 patients used to receive treatment from general outdoor in the first half of the day and 1,000 from specialized outdoor in the afternoon daily. Amid corona prevalence, 5,000 patients are receiving treatment in the outdoor regularly. The hospital is available with all test facilities, including radiotherapy, PET scan, MRI, CT scan and tissue biopsy. Quality of the tests at BSMMU is higher but cost is lower compared to many other hospitals. After taking power in 2009, Awami League-led alliance government took all-out initiative to take BSMMU to a new height. The BSMMU administration is working heart and soul to keep pace of its development with 4,500 manpower.

BSMMU came up with elaborate programme to observe birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  It formed Bangabandhu birth centenary observation committee. A watch bearing logo of Mujib Soto Borsho was unveiled to countdown the birth centenary. The programme included surgery, specialised treatment facility for free, blood donation and tree plantation. Bangabandhu corners were established at general obstetrics and gynecology department, university fistula centre and classroom, skill lab, IT and multipurpose room and central library. The university has taken step to construct Bangabandhu sculpture in the campus and renovate Bangabandhu mural in the B-Block. The committee concerned has already approved a model of the sculpture.   

The IPGM and R had set out with seven courses. Currently, BSMMU is equipped with 98 post-graduation courses including MD, MS, MPH, MPhil and diploma on various branches of medical science. Of those, 63 are residency courses. A number of 44 medical colleges and institutes are affiliated with BSMMU. There are 56 departments under seven faculties in the university. The campus is infested with 4,000 post-graduation students apart from 800 new entrants. Students at home and abroad are perusing higher study in the BSMMU. Hailing from Nepal, India, Somalia, Iran, Canada, Maldives, Australia and Bhutan are taking part in the courses, alongside local students.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University observes the Research Day every year. Around 400 teachers and students are entitled to research grants annually. The teachers and talented students of the university complete 300 researches per year. BSMMU authorities have signed MoUs with Imperial College of London, Tata Memorial Centre of Mumbai, University of Zurich at Switzerland, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance, WHO, Rockefeller Foundation, Nagoya University at Japan and other institutions at home and abroad. The process to team up with more organizations is in motion.

Over 20 lakh patients receive treatment from the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University per year. Annual number of the patients admitted to the hospital is 40,000 plus. Besides, more than 50,000 patients undergo minor and major operations.

Establishment of Super Specialised Hospital, Institute of Paediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA), Cochlear Implant Programme, child care and education, modern ICU, NICU, OT Complex, linear accelerator machine, freedom fighters' cell and centre for excellence are a few to be mentioned as success stories of the university.