Himachal PG medical seats are set to more than double, with the state government proposing to raise the number from 277 to 597. The addition of 320 postgraduate seats is aimed at producing more specialist doctors and strengthening healthcare services across the hill state.
The state health minister said the proposal to take the total number of Himachal PG medical seats to 597 has been sent to the National Medical Commission (NMC) for approval, with inspections of infrastructure and health facilities at medical colleges under way. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has also sought the cooperation of Union Health Minister JP Nadda in expanding the seats.
Himachal PG medical seats: the proposal
Himachal Pradesh currently has 277 postgraduate medical seats in its government medical colleges. Under the proposal, 320 additional seats would be created across institutions including Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda, Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla, and the government colleges in Mandi, Nahan, Chamba and Hamirpur — taking the total to 597.
The expansion of Himachal PG medical seats is expected to increase opportunities for MBBS graduates to pursue specialist education within the state, reducing the need for students to seek training elsewhere. State officials said the proposal follows an assessment of faculty strength, hospital beds and clinical material at each institution.
Why Himachal PG medical seats matter
The hill state faces a persistent shortage of specialist doctors, particularly in remote districts where patients often travel to neighbouring states for advanced treatment. More postgraduate trainees would directly boost specialist services in government hospitals, since resident doctors form the backbone of hospital care. The state currently has five government medical colleges producing around 500 to 600 doctors every year.
The proposal for Himachal PG medical seats builds on earlier expansion efforts. The government has approved 383 additional postgraduate seats in government medical colleges, introduced robotic surgery in three government hospitals, and made 2,432 appointments in the Medical Education Department, including senior residents, tutors, professors, staff nurses and technical personnel.
To improve administration, the government has also separated the Medical Education Department from the Health Department, and financial incentives for resident doctors and super-specialists have been significantly enhanced to attract and retain talent. Officials said the separation is intended to speed up decision-making for the state’s medical colleges, which have seen rapid growth in student intake in recent years.
Himachal PG medical seats: what comes next
The proposal now rests with the NMC, which will assess whether the colleges meet the infrastructure, faculty and clinical requirements for the additional seats. State officials said inspections of medical college infrastructure and health facilities are being carried out to ensure readiness for the expanded intake. Approval would allow the new seats to be filled through the national postgraduate counselling process.
The expansion is part of a wider healthcare push. A Rs 1,700-crore project supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency is upgrading health institutions across the state with advanced diagnostic facilities. The government has approved the installation of 1.5-Tesla MRI machines at eight hospitals, digital mammography units at Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan and Dharamshala, 42 portable digital X-ray machines, and 256-slice CT scanners at medical colleges in Chamiyana, Tanda, Ner Chowk and Hamirpur. Officials say the aim is to ensure that the same quality of healthcare technology available at premier institutions becomes accessible within Himachal Pradesh.
Nationally, the NMC’s seat matrix for 2026-27 lists 63,177 postgraduate medical seats across India, with Himachal Pradesh accounting for 375 seats across government and private institutions. The proposed expansion would substantially raise the state’s share of specialist training capacity.
- Current Himachal PG medical seats: 277
- Proposed addition: 320, taking the proposed total to 597
- Proposal sent to the NMC; infrastructure inspections under way
- Goal: more specialists and better care within the state
If approved, the expanded Himachal PG medical seats would mark one of the largest single increases in the state’s medical education capacity — and, officials hope, a significant step toward keeping specialist care within Himachal’s borders.