In a major initiative to augment the healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir, Centre has given its nod to increase the intake capacity of its three government-run medical colleges in the state by 50 seats each.
"The Centre has accepted the proposal to increase the intake capacity of medical colleges. The intake capacity of government medical colleges of Srinagar and Jammu has been increased from 100 to 150 and that of SKIMS Medical College, Bemina from 50 to 100," an official spokesman said here today.
He said with this, a total of 150 seats have been added to these colleges with effect from the current year.
The spokesman said the hike in the intake capacity of these colleges had become necessary as the state is facing a shortage of qualified medicos due to the expansion of health infrastructure, more so in rural and hilly areas, and the state government had proposed to increase the seats.
Also the intake capacity of the colleges was fixed some 40 years ago after which it has not been reviewed, the spokesman said.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also well versed with the growing demand of medical professionals in Jammu and Kashmir, also pushed for the same and after many decades the seats of medical colleges in the state were increased from 250 to 400 yesterday, he said.
