North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMC&H) is located in Siliguri, West Bengal, India. It is the largest and the sole healthcare facility in North Bengal region of the West Bengal, serving as a tertiary referral institute. The college has teaching programs for graduation and postgraduation. It is one of the twelve government medical colleges in West Bengal and the largest in terms of area and patient influx. The hospital has a bed strength of 862 and caters to a large population of 15 million in North Bengal, from the surrounding states of north east India and the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, with a patient occupancy rate of 137% (largest in entire Bengal). With the largest campus in entire West Bengal, it caters to the largest patient flow in entire Bengal mainly comprising patients from North Bengal, Bangladesh (Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Dhaka, Sirajganj), Nepal, Bhutan and the entire North East India. It has been recognised as a testing and treatment center for COVID-19 in North Bengal with NICED, Indian School of Tropical Medicine and Beliaghata ID & BG Hospital. The task force is expected to be led by Prof (Dr) Dipanjan Bandyopadhyay, the vice-president of Indian Association of Clinical Medicine and a faculty of medicine in aforesaid institution.

History

It was established in 1968 as the first medical college of North Bengal. Originally envisioned by Dr. B. C. Roy, the planning was executed by Ajit Kumar Panja, the then state health minister. Prof. Ajit Kr. Duttagupta joined as the first official principal of the college which was then known as North Bengal University Medical College. NBUMC was rechristened in August 1978 to North Bengal Medical College & Hospital and the administrative control went from North Bengal University to Govt. of West Bengal.

The first batches

The premedical classes started on 6.11.67 in a makeshift arrangement at Jackson medical school, Jalpaiguri. 2nd to 6th batch of students undertook their premedical course at Raigunj University College. 7th batch onwards, the students started their premedical course at NBMC campus, Sushrutanagar, their own place.

Classes for 1st-year MBBS course for 1st batch started on 18.11.68 in NBU campus. MBBS classes started in Sushrutanagar, the present site of NBMC in 1972. The first 5 batches had to migrate to SSKM hospital for their clinical lessons after passing 2nd prof. First 2 batches completed internship and housemanship there. The college got its recognition from the Medical Council of India in 1978.

Introduction of Postgraduation courses

In 2004, the institute achieved the milestone to be reckoned as the Post-graduate institute with introduction of MD/MS courses in five specialised disciplines like Anatomy, Physiology, Community Medicine, Pathology and Anesthesiology, which were recognized by the Medical Council of India in 2007. Since then more postgraduate courses were added in the fields of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, General Medicine, Surgery, Gynae & Obstetrics, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology and ENT Diseases. Postgraduate seats in the fields of Radiodiagnosis (already sanctioned), Psychiatry, Microbiology, Biochemistry (in process) will be added in near future.