The Government Medical College, Srinagar, has been granted approval for 10 additional seats for Doctor of Medicine (DM) and Master of Surgery (M.Ch) super-specialty courses, expanding advanced medical training in the Union Territory.
February 23, Srinagar: The Government Medical College, Srinagar, has received approval to offer 10 new super-specialty seats for the Doctor of Medicine (DM) and Master of Surgery (M.Ch) courses, further solidifying its position as a leading provider of medical education and tertiary care in the region, according to Iffat Hassan, Principal and Dean.
The college, along with its associated hospitals – including SMHS, Lal Ded, Bone & Joint, IMHANS, Super Specialty Hospital, Chest Diseases Hospital, the 500-bedded Children's Hospital, and Kashmir Nursing Home – treated over 27.5 million patients and recorded over 2.57 million admissions last year, making it the largest medical educator in the Union Territory and one of the largest in North India. GMC Srinagar now offers a wide range of courses, including MBBS, MD/MS, DNB, DM/M.Ch, DrNB, and FNB programs.
Under the latest expansion, two seats each have been added in DM Pulmonary Medicine, DM Cardiology, DM Medical Gastroenterology, M.Ch Paediatric Surgery, and M.Ch Urology. Earlier expansions include two DM Neurology seats in 2024-25 and two M.Ch Urology seats in 2021, bringing the institution's total super-specialty training capacity to 14 seats.
At the undergraduate level, the number of MBBS seats increased from 180 to 200 in the 2025-26 session, while postgraduate MD/MS seats rose from 259 to 277. The college also secured accreditation for DrNB Thoracic Surgery and FNB in Paediatric Nephrology in 2025-26.
Other courses introduced over the last two years include Post-Basic Nursing (80 seats per year), MSc Nursing (25 seats per year), and a post-PG Diploma in Addiction Psychology (20 seats per year). Annually, around 1,000 students are admitted to nursing and allied healthcare courses, including GNM, BSc Nursing, and BSc Allied Health programs. PhD programs in Clinical Biochemistry and MPhil in Clinical Psychology are also offered.
Health experts hailed the expansion as a landmark achievement for GMC Srinagar and the Union Territory, noting that it will create a pool of highly specialized professionals, reduce patient referrals outside the UT for advanced cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal, and paediatric surgical care, and improve access to complex treatments.
"Training more super-specialists locally strengthens the public health system, reduces delays, and lowers the financial burden on families who previously sought care outside the region," experts said. Public hospitals in Kashmir manage a substantial burden of cardiovascular, respiratory, and chronic diseases, and expanding in-state specialist training is seen as critical for continuity of care and long-term workforce stability.
