Shimla
597 PG seats proposed against existing 277
To strengthen healthcare services and medical education in Himachal Pradesh, the State Government has proposed increasing the number of postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government medical colleges from 277 to 597. This marks the first time that such a significant expansion of PG seats has been undertaken in a single phase. The initiative will create greater opportunities for aspiring doctors to pursue postgraduate education within the State, help address the shortage of specialist doctors across various disciplines and ultimately ensure the availability of better healthcare services for the people of Himachal Pradesh. The enhanced intake of postgraduate students will also strengthen patient care in government medical colleges, as PG doctors play a vital role in delivering clinical services while supporting medical education and specialized healthcare.
Under the proposed expansion, the number of PG seats in Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla has been increased from 139 to 230, in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda from 99 to 156, in Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi from 24 to 79, in Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan from 3 to 35, in Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba from 4 to 32 and in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur from 8 to 65.
To support this expansion, the State Government has created 218 posts of Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists in government medical colleges during the last three years of its tenure. Of these, 54 posts have been created in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, 31 in Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, 32 in Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, 36 in Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi, 63 in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur and two in the Atal Institute of Medical Super Speciality, Chamiyana. The creation of these posts will further strengthen specialist healthcare services, enhance postgraduate medical education and improve patient care across the State.
The present State Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has been laying special emphasis on strengthening the healthcare sector by developing world-class infrastructure in government medical colleges and augmenting specialized human resources. The Government remains committed to improving postgraduate medical education as it plays a pivotal role in delivering quality healthcare services across Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Senior Residents constitute the backbone of tertiary healthcare institutions and play an indispensable role in patient care, medical education, research and clinical training. They serve as a vital link between faculty members and undergraduate students while ensuring the smooth functioning of hospital services, particularly in specialized departments. He said that increasing postgraduate seats would contribute significantly towards developing a highly skilled medical workforce capable of meeting the growing healthcare needs of the people. He added that the Government is continuously upgrading medical colleges with modern infrastructure, advanced diagnostic facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories and improved teaching resources to create an enabling environment for quality medical education and healthcare delivery.
Shri Sukhu said that strengthening medical education and expanding specialist training capacity are among the foremost priorities of the present State Government. These initiatives will not only improve healthcare outcomes but also eliminate the need for patients to travel outside the State for specialized treatment. He said the Government envisions developing Himachal Pradesh as a centre of excellence in medical education and healthcare through sustained investment in infrastructure, human resources and technological advancement.
