Bhubaneswar: Odisha currently has 3,025 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats, Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling informed the state assembly on Monday. The state government has announced plans to open four new medical colleges to expand access to medical education.
In a written reply to a question by Mohana MLA Dasarathi Gomanga, Dr. Mahaling said that of the existing 3,025 seats, 1,800 are in 14 government medical colleges, 1,100 in six private colleges, and 125 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
To increase capacity, the government will add 50 seats at Maharaja Jajati Keshari Medical College and Hospital (MJKMCH), Jajpur; 25 seats at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLN MCH), Koraput; 25 seats at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital (PRMMCH), Baripada; and 50 seats at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla.
The minister also said that steps are being taken to establish new government medical colleges in Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Nabarangpur districts.
Currently, eight nursing colleges and 21 ANM training centres are operational in the state. The government is in the process of opening eight additional nursing colleges and has proposed to gradually establish nursing, paramedical, and allied medical science colleges in districts where such institutions are absent.
Dr. Mahaling said these initiatives are part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to medical education across Odisha.
