Bhubaneswar, November 6: Odisha has achieved a significant milestone in medical education with the National Medical Commission (NMC) approving an additional 318 postgraduate (PG) medical seats across government medical colleges and medical institutions in the state.

With this approval, the total number of PG medical seats in Odisha has increased from 620 to 938, marking a substantial expansion of postgraduate medical education. The additional seats have been approved across 14 medical disciplines.

A major highlight of the expansion is the introduction of PG courses for the first time in five government medical colleges in the state.

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These include Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital in Keonjhar, which has received 44 seats across 10 departments; Government Medical College and Hospital, Sundargarh, with 22 seats across eight departments; Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, with 28 seats across nine departments; Pabitra Mohan Pradhan Medical College and Hospital, Talcher, with 32 seats across 10 departments; and Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Government Medical College and Hospital, Phulbani, with 27 seats across eight departments.

Similalry, existing medical colleges have also received approval for additional PG seats. Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Baripada, has increased its intake from 20 to 53 seats, while Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, Balangir, has expanded from 10 to 54 seats. Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore, has witnessed an increase from eight to 54 seats.

In addition, PGIMER and Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, has got 11 additional seats, SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, 17 seats; Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer, three seats; and Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, 11 seats.

The newly approved seats cover 14 disciplines, including Anatomy, Anaesthesiology, Biochemistry, Community Medicine, ENT, General Medicine, General Surgery, Microbiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pathology, Psychiatry and Respiratory Medicine.