The National Medical Commission (NMC) has given the green signal to 62 more postgraduate (PG) seats spread over six government medical colleges in Odisha for the academic year 2025-26. This increase in seats is likely to raise the state's potential to produce more specialised medical professionals and, thus, elevate healthcare standards all over the region.
Strengthening Medical Education Infrastructure
The confirmation of the nod was given by Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi, who thanked Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda for making this decision possible. In a letter to the Union Minister, Majhi wrote that the step is a "significant milestone" in the state's double-prong strategy of improving medical education and public health."
The extension of MD/MS seats to government medical colleges in Odisha will be the sixth state-run medical college in which the new PG seats will be allocated. With this enhancement, Odisha is moving forward on the path to attain universal health care and to keep the medical professionals in the state.
Colleges Receiving New PG Seats
The following table outlines the six government medical colleges that will benefit from the NMC’s approval-
Medical College Name
Location
Newly Approved PG Seats
SCB Medical College and Hospital
Cuttack
3
Bhima Bhoi Medical College
Balangir
10
Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences
Burla
15
PGIMER and Capital Hospital
Bhubaneshwar
6
Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College
Baripada
20
Government Medical College
Balasore
8
Total
62
Impact on Healthcare and Training
Consequently, these new seats are expected to go a long way in the availability of specialists in such areas of internal medicine, paediatrics, surgery, and obstetrics. As a result, hospitals linked with these colleges will get the benefit of a higher workforce and the skills of more PG students.
Moreover, the decision goes a long way in solving the problem of few postgraduate opportunities in Odisha, which has been the cause of the medical graduates' migration to other states for a long time. Through local expansion, the government intends to keep the talents and provide the rural population with an equal share of healthcare services.
Government’s Vision for Healthcare
To enhance its medical facilities, the Odisha government has actively appealed for assistance from the Central government. Increasing these postgraduate seats is merely one of many steps taken to elevate the standard of medical education and the health care system.
Through working together with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Centre, the state intends to keep widening the scope of medical education, Chief Minister Majhi said. He, moreover, insisted on the necessity of the prompt execution as a way of making the new seats available for the next academic session.
Looking Ahead
Now that the NMC has given the green light, the six medical colleges will likely initiate the changes necessary to welcome the new PG students. Among these departments are upgrading facilities, faculty recruitment, and standard academic regulations. Such an initiative is almost universally perceived as a major point in the journey of Odisha towards the creation of an advanced healthcare environment capable of not just meeting the increasing demand of its people but also promoting the quality of medical education.
