Dhaka National Medical College & Hospital

Dhaka National Medical College has a rich history, dating back to 1925, when it was originally founded as the Dhaka National Medical Institute. It was part of the broader Non-cooperation movement against British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent, which was led by prominent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Mawlana Muhammad Ali, and Mawlana Shaukat Ali. This movement encouraged people to establish their own educational institutions and boycott those run by the British government.

In response to this, two medical schools were founded in the Bengal province—one in Calcutta, known as the Calcutta National Medical Institute, and the other in Dhaka, which became the Dhaka National Medical Institute.

The Dhaka National Medical Institute was established near Bahadur Shah Park in Dhaka on land donated by Zaminder Raghunath Das. Many nationalists contributed financially to its establishment. The first governing body was chaired by the renowned scientist Sir Prafulla Chandra Roy KBE, and included notable nationalist leaders like Sir Khwaja Nazim Uddin, former Chief Minister of Bengal, and Dr. J.C. Ghosh, the founder of the Ayuraveda Institute, among others.

The institute initially offered a four-year medical course (LMF) in modern medicine and also established a general hospital to provide clinical training for students and healthcare services to the local population.

In 1958, the four-year medical course (LMF) was replaced by a five-year MBBS course by the East Pakistan provincial government. However, due to lack of support from the Pakistan government, Dhaka National Medical Institute was unable to offer the MBBS course and became a general hospital by 1965.

During the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, the Dhaka National Medical Institute Hospital provided refuge to the freedom fighters. After the war, the hospital faced financial difficulties and was on the brink of collapse. It was then that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stepped in, allocating Taka thirty-five lacs to restore the hospital and forming an Adhoc Governing Body under the leadership of Mr. M. Sirajul Islam, MLA.

The government also introduced a rule where a Management Board would be formed every four years, and the hospital would receive a yearly financial grant from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The initial grant was Taka two crore, which has since increased to Taka five crore. In return, the hospital treats 40% of its patients for free.

In 1994, the idea of establishing a medical college with the Dhaka National Medical Institute Hospital came to fruition. The Dhaka National Medical College was formally inaugurated on October 15, 1995, and its academic building was inaugurated on November 25, 2006. The college operates in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University of Dhaka, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BM&DC), and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Dhaka National Medical College is a non-political, non-profit institution and now has a modern 11-story academic building with adequate parking facilities. Graduates of the college are eligible for limited registration with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom and can also take the United States Medical License Examinations (USMLE).

The overall management of the college is overseen by a governing body formed by the University of Dhaka. Currently, the chairman of the governing body is Advocate Kazi Firoz Rashid, MP, who is leading efforts to build a digital Bangladesh as part of the vision outlined by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

No doctors available at this hospital.