Odisha To Expand MBBS Capacity, Plans 4 New Government Medical Colleges
Replying to a query in the Assembly, health and family welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling informed on Tuesday that Odisha currently offers a total of 3,025 MBBS seats.
Bhubaneswar: In a significant push to strengthen medical education and healthcare infrastructure, the Odisha government has announced plans to expand MBBS seat capacity and establish four new government medical colleges across the state.
Replying to a query in the Assembly, health and family welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling informed on Tuesday that Odisha currently offers a total of 3,025 MBBS seats. This includes 1,800 seats across 14 government medical colleges, 1,100 seats in six private institutions, and 125 seats at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
As part of capacity augmentation, the state has approved an increase in seats at several institutions. The Maharaja Jajati Keshari Medical College and Hospital will add 50 seats, while both Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital and Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital will see an increase of 25 seats each. Similarly, Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is set to add 50 seats.
Looking ahead, the government has proposed setting up new medical colleges in the districts of Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Nabarangpur. These additions are aimed at improving regional access to medical education and addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals.
The minister also highlighted parallel developments in nursing and allied health education. At present, Odisha has eight nursing colleges and 21 ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery) training centres, with plans underway to establish eight more nursing colleges. A phased rollout of nursing, paramedical, and allied health institutions is also being planned in districts that currently lack such facilities.
The expansion aligns with the broader vision of ensuring equitable healthcare access and building a robust medical workforce. Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its election manifesto, had pledged to establish medical colleges in all 30 districts of the state.
Currently, 15 districts in Odisha have government medical colleges, and the state government has initiated steps to extend this network further in the coming years, signalling a sustained focus on healthcare capacity building at a national scale.