Uttarakhand: PG seats to increase in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: The State's Medical Education Department has decided to increase the seats in post graduate courses in Haldwani and Srinagar Medical Colleges. The decision is being hailed by post graduate aspirants. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare convened a meeting, in this regard, in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by the State's Director of Medical Education.

The seat increase at Haldwani will be from 39 to 62 and at Srinagar Medical College from 4 to 20.The decision is going to help doctors interested in specializations and also increase the availability of trained doctors, in a state bereft of medical specialists. 120 MBBS pass outs move onto other states, in order to pursue post graduate courses in Uttarakhand every year.

Dr Ashutosh Sayana, Director, Medical Education said, "We will increase up to 23 seats in clinical and non-clinical disciplines at the Haldwani Medical College and Srinagar Medical College will have 16 more seats, but only in the clinical disciplines."

An RTI query has revealed that over 150 primary health centers in Uttarakhand are without doctors. Most of these health centers are located in the hills, where doctors are reluctant to be go due to harsh living conditions.

According to a TOI report, earlier, there are over 2 lac unemployed doctors in India. Statistics reveal 50,000 doctors pass out every year and there are just 25,000 post graduates seats available in colleges.