Uttarakhand Expands Medical and Nursing Education with New Colleges
Uttarakhand has established three new medical and nursing colleges, enhancing healthcare education and job opportunities in the state.
Dehradun, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : The expansion of medical and nursing education in Uttarakhand has gained momentum under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s administration. In the past five years, the state has inaugurated three new government medical colleges and three new government nursing colleges.
This growth not only strengthens the state’s healthcare infrastructure but also creates new career opportunities for young individuals aspiring to enter the medical and nursing fields.
Currently, Uttarakhand is home to six government medical colleges located in Dehradun, Haldwani, Srinagar, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Haridwar. Notably, the medical colleges in Almora, Pithoragarh, and Haridwar were established during Dhami’s tenure.
These six institutions collectively offer a total of 675 MBBS seats. Additionally, construction of a medical college in Rudrapur has been completed, which, upon receiving approval for 100 MBBS seats, will increase the total number of seats in government medical colleges to 775. When combined with the 900 seats available in four private medical colleges and the 125 seats at AIIMS Rishikesh, the total number of MBBS seats in the state will reach approximately 1,700.
The government is also focusing on expanding nursing education to develop a skilled workforce in the health sector. Since July 2021, three government nursing colleges have been established, adding 321 new seats in courses such as B.Sc. Nursing and M.Sc. Nursing.
Now, there are 879 seats in government nursing institutions and 10,616 seats in private institutions, resulting in a total of 11,495 seats available for nursing education.
Furthermore, the state government is linking nursing education to international job opportunities through foreign language training. In 2023, 60 candidates from two batches secured jobs in Japan, while 13 candidates found employment in Germany in 2025.
Chief Minister Dhami announced that the state government has allocated an additional ₹225 crore through a supplementary budget to bolster health services and medical education. Of this, ₹100 crore is earmarked for the ‘Atal Ayushman Yojana,’ which provides cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh for eligible beneficiaries. An additional ₹125 crore has been allocated for the ‘Golden Card Scheme,’ which offers cashless healthcare services to state government employees.
To strengthen the infrastructure for medical education, approximately ₹160 crore has been allocated for development projects at the medical colleges and nursing institutions in Pithoragarh and Rudrapur.
Dhami emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring better health facilities across Uttarakhand and providing more opportunities for youth in medical education. The establishment of six new medical and nursing institutions, along with investments in healthcare infrastructure and cashless treatment schemes, reflects the government’s dedication to building a robust and accessible health system.
