Bhubaneswar: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 318 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats across 14 departments in five government medical colleges and other institutions in Odisha, officials said on Friday.

With the latest approval, the total number of PG seats in the state has increased from 620 to 938.

The approval will also enable five new government medical colleges in the state to introduce postgraduate courses, with 153 seats sanctioned across different departments, an official statement said.

Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital in Keonjhar has received approval for 44 PG seats across 10 departments, while Government Medical College and Hospital in Sundargarh has been allotted 22 seats across eight departments.

Similarly, SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput has received 28 seats across nine departments, Pabitra Mohan Pradhan Government Medical College and Hospital in Talcher 32 seats across 10 departments, and Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Government Medical College and Hospital in Phulbani 27 seats across eight departments.

The number of PG seats at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada has increased from 20 to 53, while Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir has seen an increase from 10 to 54 seats, the statement said.

At Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore, the number of PG seats has risen from eight to 54, while PGIMER and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar have received 11 additional seats.

SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack has been allotted 17 additional seats, while Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer has received three more seats. VIMSAR, Burla, has been allotted 11 additional seats.

The additional seats will be available across 14 departments, including Anatomy, Anaesthesiology, Biochemistry, Community Medicine, ENT, General Medicine, General Surgery, Microbiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pathology, Psychiatry and Respiratory Medicine.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the development marked a significant step forward for medical education and healthcare in the state.

"With the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, a new chapter has been added to the health and medical education sector in Odisha," he said.

Thanking Union Health Minister J P Nadda and the NMC, Mahaling said the increase in PG seats from 620 to 938 was not merely an expansion of medical education but also a step towards producing more skilled doctors and specialists in the state.

The introduction of postgraduate medical education in regions such as Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Koraput, Talcher and Phulbani would promote balanced regional development and decentralisation of healthcare, he said.

The move would also improve the availability of specialist doctors and help people access advanced healthcare services closer to their homes, the minister added.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.