Major Boost to Medical Education in Odisha: Health Minister Announces Plan to Increase MBBS Seats to 2,000 Across the State

Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 [UDN}: The Odisha Government is giving priority to strengthening healthcare services across the state and addressing the shortage of doctors. In this direction, the BJP-led government has placed special emphasis on increasing the number of medical seats since coming to power.
According to Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, the number of MBBS seats in Odisha has increased by 300 over the past two years, taking the total to around 1,800. The state is expected to increase the number further to 2,000 MBBS seats this year.
Dr. Mahaling said that over the last two years, three medical colleges in Odisha have received permission to admit students to 100 MBBS seats each. These include GMCH Phulbani, PM PMC Hospital/Medical College at Talcher-Angul, and the Government Medical College and Hospital in Kalahandi. The state government has set a target of increasing MBBS seats by 150 to 200 every year.
As part of this initiative, VIMSAR, Burla, has received approval for an additional 50 MBBS seats for the academic year 2026–27. The remaining 150 seats are currently under the approval process of the National Medical Commission (NMC). These include an additional 50 seats for Jajpur Medical College, while SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, and PRM Medical College and Hospital, Baripada, are expected to receive an additional 25 seats each. Besides this, the government is targeting admission to 50 MBBS seats for the first time at the ESIC Medical College and Hospital.
The Health Minister further stated that the government is not focusing only on producing more doctors but is also taking steps to address the shortage of super-specialist doctors. In view of this requirement, 152 new posts have been created.
The government is also giving priority to filling vacant doctor posts across the state. The Health Department has submitted an indent to the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) for recruitment against 5,200 vacant posts. Meanwhile, around 980 doctors have already joined, and the process of filling the remaining vacancies is being expedited.
According to information provided by the minister, SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack has 250 MBBS seats, while VIMSAR, Burla has 200 seats and MKCG Medical College and Hospital has 140 seats. SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, and PRM Medical College and Hospital, Baripada, each have 125 seats. BB Medical College and Hospital, Balangir, has 100 seats, while the medical college and hospital at Balasore has around 100 seats. SLN Medical College and Hospital, Puri, also has 100 seats.
Similarly, the medical colleges in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Angul and Kandhamal have 100 MBBS seats each, while MJKMCH, Jajpur, currently has 50 MBBS seats.
The government’s continued expansion of medical education is aimed at increasing the availability of trained doctors, strengthening specialist and super-specialist services, and improving access to quality healthcare for people across Odisha.