Started with 50 seats, Jammu GMC is now functional with 180 seats

Saroor
Jammu, Jan 28:Started way back some five decades ago with minimal 50 seats, the Government Medical College, Jammu is now operational with 180 seats with a motive to cater people with modern and hi-tech healthcare services.
As per official sources, the Government Medical College, Jammu is one of the oldest healthcare facilities and is serving the people.
“It’s more than 50 years since the oldest medical college of Jammu was established. Jammu GMC, which started with 50 MBBS seats, currently has 180 MBBS seats,” official sources said.
They added that as many as 39 students of Diplomate of National Board (DNB) are also pursuing professional studies in the Jammu GMC, adding, “specialist courses have been started for the first time in several departments.”
Sources said that the facilities in the hospitals have been enhanced and augmented over a period of time.
They said that Jammu GMC is the largest hospital in the Jammu region treating patients from all over the zone (all ten districts) in case of emergency.
“The hospital is overburdened with patients. Though the administration has come up with modern infrastructure in each and every district of the region but manpower crisis is making things difficult to happen and they are not result oriented,” they said.
Sources further revealed that simultaneously, the administration is making all out efforts to work of doctors—attendants trust deficit to prevent any type of situation leading to confusion.
Notably, last year, fresh batches of 100 students each started in Udhampur and Handwara districts as the health and medical infrastructure is expanding across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is also marching ahead in MBBS seats allocation in the country.
Sources said that Jammu and Kashmir has taken a lead in MBBS seats allocation as compared to many other states in the country.
“With the opening of seven new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, the MBBS seats have been increased and apart from 180 MBBS seats each in GMC Jammu and Srinagar, there are 62 seats in AIIMS Jammu, 100 each in GMC Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua, Rajouri and 125 MBBS seats in Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS),” sources added.
The Diplomate of National Board (DNB) in Jammu and Kashmir as a step towards strengthening the health and medical system, in March last year 20 MBBS seats were sanctioned by National Board of Examinations in Medical Science (NBEMS) under DNB for the institutions of J&K during the start of the Session 2023.
Implementation of DNB courses has led to an equitable distribution of health care services and manpower especially in far flung and hard to reach areas, they added.