Tamil Nadu plans to add 460 additional PG Medical Seats by 2026

Except for the medical colleges in Pudukottai and Karur, the rest of the medical colleges are among the 11 new medical colleges that were added in the year 2022.

There are currently 38 PG seats at KCSSH, attached to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. Now, the State Government has proposed 28 additional seats across seven specialties of Nephrology, Urology, Medical Gastroenterology, Surgical Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Anaesthesiology, and Radiology.

Meanwhile, the State has proposed including MD courses in General Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radio diagnosis, Anaesthesiology in the 13 medical colleges.

However, in response to the State's decision, some of the government doctors have highlighted the omission of institutions such as the Government Omandurar Medical College and Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Omandurar Estate.

Commenting on the matter, a doctor told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity, "The increase in seats could have been better distributed. Many of us expected an increase in seats in a number of specialties here according to the patient load, but have been left out."

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Service Doctors and Postgraduates Association, A. Ramalingam, said that by increasing the PG medical seats, the State Government is gradually phasing out junior and senior resident posts, who, according to NMC norms, should be engaged in patient care.

"Instead of having the posts of junior and senior residents, the State government is misusing PGs as manpower to address the prevailing shortage of doctors. This should not be the case," he added.

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