VIJAYAWADA: For the first time, the State government will conduct supplementary examinations for paramedical students who fail in their annual exams.

The Department of Medical and Health has taken this decision to ensure students do not lose an entire academic year and miss employment opportunities.

Paramedical courses such as Diploma in Medical Lab Technician, ECG Technician, and Cardiology are two-year programs.

Until now, students who failed in annual exams had to wait a full year to reappear. Responding to this issue, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav directed officials to introduce supplementary exams from the 2025–26 academic year.

According to the notification issued by the Allied and Health Care Professions Council (Paramedical), applications from failed students will be accepted until January 5. Around 5,000 students are expected to benefit from this initiative.

The supplementary exams will be held on February 2, 3, and 4. There are 16 paramedical courses in the state, with nearly 20,000 students enrolling each year after completing Intermediate BiPC or MPC.

Until 2024, annual exams scheduled for July were often delayed and conducted between October and January.

Last year, the department streamlined the process by conducting regular exams in July and releasing results in October.

In line with this schedule, the supplementary exam notification has now been issued, bringing relief to students who previously faced long delays.