In a major boost to medical education in Jammu & Kashmir, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued Letters of Permission (LoP) for 190 additional MBBS seats across five Government Medical Colleges in the Union Territory.
The approvals include 50 additional seats each for Government Medical College Baramulla, Government Medical College Doda, and Government Medical College Kathua, while Government Medical College Jammu and Government Medical College Srinagar have been allotted 20 seats each.
With this development, the total MBBS intake in Government Medical Colleges of J&K has increased from 1,185 to 1,375 seats.
This timely enhancement will significantly increase opportunities for aspiring medical students from J&K, reduce competition pressure, and strengthen the healthcare delivery system in the long run by producing more trained doctors. Officials have further indicated that additional seats are likely to be approved before the third round of counselling, further expanding the capacity of medical education in the Union Territory.
The Chief Secretary of J&K appreciated the sustained efforts of the Health & Medical Education Department in achieving this milestone and expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the National Medical Commission, and Dr. V. K. Paul, Member NITI Aayog, for their guidance and support in the seat enhancement.
It is pertinent to mention that Dr. V. K. Paul has been closely associated with the Health & Medical Education Department of J&K on several initiatives and reforms, which are expected to bring transformative changes in the healthcare ecosystem of the region. (Agencies)
