Lucknow, UP: In a major boost to medical education in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has announced an increase of 1,007 postgraduate (MD, MS) medical seats in various institutions. With this expansion, the total number of PG medical seats in the state will reach 5,035, up from the existing 4,028 seats.
Currently, 1,906 seats are available in 44 government medical colleges and 2,122 seats are allotted across 36 private institutions. This rise in seats is expected to help tackle the shortage of medical professionals and enhance healthcare services in the state.
District Residency Program Linked to Seat Expansion
The decision to increase PG medical seats is linked to the District Residency Program (DRP), which mandates that 25% of PG students serve in district hospitals for three months. As a result, medical colleges often experience a shortfall in students occupying sanctioned seats at a given time. To counter this, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has permitted medical colleges to apply for additional seats equal to the number of students deployed under the DRP.
Government Calls for Applications
The Principal Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department, Parthasarathi Sen Sharma, has directed the Director General of Medical Education and Training to invite applications from institutions interested in expanding their PG medical seats. Accordingly, letters have been sent to key medical institutions, including:
- SGPGI Lucknow
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow
- PGICS Noida
- Mental Health Center, Agra
- Regional Eye Institute, Sitapur
- Government medical colleges in Kanpur, Prayagraj, Meerut, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, and other districts
Boost to Medical Education & Healthcare Services
This initiative aims to improve medical education, strengthen healthcare services and create more opportunities for aspiring doctors in Uttar Pradesh. The increase in seats will allow more students to receive quality medical training, contributing to a stronger healthcare workforce in the future.
This step aligns with India’s vision of improving medical infrastructure and addressing the growing demand for specialized healthcare professionals.
