345 new MBBS seats to be added in Tamil Nadu : Minister

Chennai: 345 MBBS seats will be added by the state in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli, in the coming few years said the Finance Minister, O Panneerselvam on Thursday.

With an aim to introduce one medical college in each district, the state also plans to increase seats in all the 22 government medical colleges of the state to an approximate 250 .While the state continues to aim for one medical college in each district, it is planning to increase seats in all the 22 state-run medical college to at least 250.

Dr Edwin Joe, Director, Medical Education revealed that two new medical colleges proposals in Karur and Perambalur are pending. “We are in the process of identifying land before seeking MCI permission. But we are expanding infrastructure and resources so that seats can go up,” he told TOI.

Tamil Nadu, with the largest government-run medical colleges strength, is making attempts to increase seat numbers to provide increasing opportunities to its students.

As is known students of the state found it challenging to get admissions into medical colleges after NEET was made mandatory for them by the Union health ministry and the Medical Council of India.

It has been observed that there was a significant drop in government seats In 2017, under the single window counseling system. The number which was 4,225 in 2016 fell to 3,546 in 2017; however, the number of students from other states went up to 715 in 2017 from 589 in the earlier year stated the statistics presented by Dr MGR Medical University, Tamil Nadu.