Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, the primary healthcare refuge for millions across the Sylhet division, is rapidly losing its public trust. The decline is driven by the reckless behavior of a faction of intern doctors, medical negligence, routine physical assaults on patients and their families, handing victims over to police, and crippling the facility through frequent, arbitrary work stoppages.
Patients arriving in desperate need of medical care are increasingly met with abuse and physical violence rather than treatment. While hospital authorities occasionally form investigation committees following such violent incidents, perpetrators almost never face accountability. Terrified that a strict stance might trigger debilitating strikes that paralyze the hospital, authorities routinely opt for inaction—fostering a culture of total impunity.
Recent Brutality and Assault on Journalists
On the night of October 28, intern doctors at Osmani Hospital launched a vicious attack on relatives of a patient from Silam, South Surma, after the family inquired about delays in surgery. The victims were detained inside the hospital and severely beaten. Relatives of expatriate Nur Alam from Shantiganj, Sunamganj, faced similar physical abuse.
Alerted to the chaos, journalists Reza Rubel and Nibendu Talukdar arrived at the scene to perform professional reporting duties. As they attempted to capture photographic and video evidence of the violence, the interns attacked them as well. Armed with saline stands and crude weapons, the interns bludgeoned and bloodied the journalists, forcibly ejecting them from the operating theatre without providing any medical prescriptions.
Services remained suspended until roughly 2:00 AM, holding vulnerable patients completely hostage. Although several distressed relatives were wrongfully handed over to the police following the beatings, no formal charges were filed against them by the interns. Strikingly, six days after this shocking incident, hospital authorities have yet to establish an inquiry committee or take disciplinary action against the culprits.
A History of Impunity
January 16: Clashes erupted in the 4th-floor surgery ward between interns and patients' relatives, injuring five family members. To conceal their fault, the interns launched a strike and handed three victims over to police. Though a 5-member probe committee was formed, no punitive actions followed.
July 8: Interns engaged in repeated assaults on patients' attendants outside the emergency department, followed by yet another paralyzing work stoppage.
April 27 (Previous Year): Dr. Tanmoy Debnath of the surgery ward publicly kicked a patient's relative in Ward 31. Though a viral video sparked a formal probe committee, accountability was evaded.
Civil Society and Authority Perspectives
Mizanur Rahman, General Secretary of Shushasoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJON) Sylhet, remarked, "Patients go to hospitals seeking life, not beatings. Yet, over trivial matters, interns resort to physical assault, hand victims to the police, and call strikes to cover up their wrongdoing. Because authorities fail to take stern action, they are growing more reckless by the day."
Defending the administration, Dr. Md. Badrul Amin, Assistant Director (Administration) of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, stated, "Investigation committees are formed upon receiving written complaints. Some probes are ongoing, while others have been resolved through bilateral arbitration. Due to manpower shortages, doctors face immense work pressure, which occasionally sparks unexpected incidents. However, not everyone is responsible for these actions."
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