SRINAGAR: In a major boost to Medical Education in UT, the Govt. Medical College Srinagar received approval for 10 Super-speciality courses for Doctorate of Medicine (DM) and Master of Chirugiae (M.Ch) seats, strengthening its position as a leading tertiary care teaching institution in the region.
This was informed by Prof. Iffat Hassan, Principal/Dean, GMC Srinagar, who termed the development a landmark achievement in strengthening advanced medical education and healthcare delivery in Jammu & Kashmir.
Government Medical College Srinagar and its associated hospitals (SMHS, Lal Ded, Bone & Joint, IMHANS, Super speciality hospital, Chest Diseases Hospital, Children hospital and Kashmir nursing home) with more than 3200 bed strength is the largest specialised health care provider in UT of JK and treated more than 27.5 lac patients with more than 2.57 lac admissions last year, has established its position as the number one medical educator in UT and one of the largest in North India offering broad and wide range of courses from MBBS, MD/MS, DNB, DM/ MCh, DrNB and FNB Courses.
Under the latest expansion, the college has been granted two seats each in DM Pulmonary Medicine, DM Cardiology, DM Medical Gastroenterology, M.Ch Paediatric Surgery and M.Ch Urology.
GMC Srinagar started in 2021 with two M.Ch Urology seats, followed by two DM Neurology seats last year, and has now culminated in the addition of 10 new super-speciality seats, heralding a new era in super-speciality medical education at GMC Srinagar.
At the undergraduate level, MBBS seats have increased from 180 to 200 in the 2025-2026 session. Postgraduate (MD/MS) seats have risen from 259 to 277 during the same session.
Additionally, DrNB Thoracic Surgery and FNB in Paediatric Nephrology, accredited by the National Board of Examination were also sanctioned in the 2025-2026 session. The other courses introduced during the last two years include Post Basic Nursing with 80 students per year, MSc Nursing with 25 seats per year and 20 seats in the post P.G diploma course in addiction psychology.
Besides, the college admits around 1000 students per year in Nursing and Allied healthcare courses, which include GNM and other Diplomas, BSc Nursing and students of BSc Allied Health care. In addition, PhD Clinical Biochemistry and MPhil Clinical Psychology are also run in the Institution.
Health experts have described the approval of additional super-speciality seats as a transformative step not only in the history of GMC Srinagar but also for the entire Union Territory. The move is expected to create a pool of highly specialised professionals and significantly reduce referrals outside J&K for advanced cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and paediatric surgical care.
Training more super-specialists locally strengthens the public health system and improves access to complex treatment. It reduces delays and lowers the financial burden on families who previously sought care outside the region.
Public hospitals in Kashmir deliver most secondary and tertiary care and manage a significant burden of cardiovascular, respiratory and chronic disease. Health policy experts have emphasised that expanding in-state specialist training is crucial for ensuring continuity of care and building long-term workforce stability in the healthcare sector.