Dr Steven M Kelly, a surgeon at Malumghat Memorial Christian Hospital, has received the 2026 American College of Surgeons (ACS)/Pfizer Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Award for his nearly three decades of medical service to underserved people in southeastern Bangladesh.
He is one of six surgeons honoured for their outstanding contributions to providing healthcare to disadvantaged communities worldwide.
The award was presented on Tuesday at the annual Board of Governors reception and dinner of the ACS Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, DC. The ACS Board of Governors’ Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards Workgroup organised the programme.
The other five recipients are Juan Carlos P. Puana, Steven M. Roser, Ingrid M. Lizaraga, Brian Gavit and Philip J. Sue.
Dr Kelly has lived in southeastern Bangladesh since 1996 and has spent nearly 30 years treating patients with limited access to life-saving medical care.
After graduating from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York, he completed residency and fellowship training in general and thoracic surgery through the US Air Force. He later came to Bangladesh after receiving a call to serve as a long-term missionary at Malumghat Memorial Christian Hospital.
Over the years, Dr Kelly has also become a familiar and much-loved figure in Malumghat. A keen football enthusiast, he is fluent in Bangla and is known locally for his warmth and friendliness.
He expanded the scope of medical services in the region by introducing laparoscopic, thoracic, vascular and advanced endoscopic procedures for the first time in the area. He has also provided general, paediatric, thoracic, urological, gynaecological and emergency surgical services, as well as trauma and orthopaedic surgery.
During his three-decade career, he has performed more than 30,000 surgeries.
Dr Kelly’s contribution has gone beyond direct patient care. He has trained numerous doctors, nurses, operating theatre technicians and other medical staff in Bangladesh, helping strengthen local healthcare capacity.
As medical director of Malumghat Memorial Christian Hospital, he also led the construction of a modern 125,000-square-foot hospital building.
During the Rohingya refugee crisis, he led emergency expansion efforts to provide medical treatment to hundreds of injured refugees.
His long-standing medical service and efforts to strengthen healthcare capacity in the region have now been recognised with one of the ACS’s humanitarian awards.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
