Tamil Nadu plans to start new medical colleges with Minimum 150 MBBS Seats

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Medical Education Department, in its effort to enhance the medical education sector, is planning to have all of the Government Medical Colleges running in the state to have at least 150 MBBS seats by next academic year.

If this plan gets executed, the state will witness a boost of minimum 350 MBBS seats to its current pool of 2900; which makes 3250 MBBS seats for next year's admission season.

Earlier, the state used to apply for 100 MBBS seats for new medical colleges and then increased the pool step by step. However, after setting up a medical college in Pudukottai with 150 MBBS seats, the government decided that all new medical colleges should have at least 150 seats, State Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan confirmed to TOI.

In the near future, the state may also enhance the planned 150 to 250 MBBS seats at all medical colleges. The move will also be accommodated with the starting of PG courses in all medical colleges

"As of now, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of state-run medical colleges in the country. The number of medical colleges will go up from 22 to 24," Director of Medical Education, Tamil Nadu, Dr A Edwin Joe added.

This year, 100 seats each have already been added in government medical colleges in Madurai and Tirunelveli. An MCI team has completed one round of inspection and may return to take a headcount. "These colleges now have 150 seats. Last time, when the inspection team came, government doctors were on strike. The headcount couldn't be taken," he stated.

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Adding that the state has applied for admission of MBBS students to a new medical college in Karur, the Director stated, "The construction is complete and we are holding counselling for the appointment of doctors. We are confident of starting the new college here with 150 seats."

The authorities have informed that the proposals for the establishment of new medical colleges are currently pending for Perambalur, Ooty and Ramanathapuram. The medical colleges at Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram may soon get set up.

In addition to its plan to establish new medical colleges with 150 MBBS seats, the state is also planning to increase the current MBBS pool at each government medical college to 250 seats. 250 is the maximum number of MBBS seats that the MCI has allowed any medical institute to have.

"At the same time, the state is planning to increase the number of seats in all medical colleges to 250. As per the new MCI guideline, we will be starting PG courses in all medical colleges," Dr Joe added.

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