Uttarakhand has witnessed a significant expansion in medical and nursing education during the tenure of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, with the establishment of three new government medical colleges and three government nursing colleges over the past five years.The expansion has not only strengthened the state’s healthcare infrastructure but also created greater opportunities for young people aspiring to pursue careers in medicine and nursing.At present, Uttarakhand has six operational government medical colleges located in Dehradun, Haldwani, Srinagar, Almora, Pithoragarh and Haridwar. The medical colleges in Almora, Pithoragarh and Haridwar became operational during the Dhami government’s tenure.These six government institutions collectively offer 675 MBBS seats. In addition, construction of the medical college in Rudrapur has been completed. Once it receives approval for 100 MBBS seats, the total capacity in government medical colleges will increase to 775. Including 900 seats in four private medical colleges and 125 seats at AIIMS Rishikesh, the state’s overall MBBS capacity has reached approximately 1,700 seats.The government has also focused on expanding nursing education to develop a skilled workforce for the healthcare sector. Since July 2021, three government nursing colleges have been established in the state, adding 321 seats across courses such as BSc Nursing and MSc Nursing.Uttarakhand now has 879 seats in government nursing institutions and 10,616 seats in private institutions, taking the total nursing education capacity to 11,495 seats.The state is also linking nursing education with international employment opportunities through foreign language training. In 2023, 60 candidates from two batches secured employment in Japan, while 13 candidates received employment opportunities in Germany in 2025.To strengthen healthcare services and medical education, the state government has allocated an additional Rs 225 crore through the supplementary budget, said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Of this, Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the Atal Ayushman Yojana, which provides cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to eligible beneficiaries, he added. Another Rs 125 crore has been allocated to the Golden Card scheme, which provides cashless healthcare facilities to state government employees.Approximately Rs 160 crore has been provided for strengthening medical education infrastructure, including development works at the Pithoragarh and Rudrapur medical colleges and nursing institutions.Chief Minister Dhami said the government’s commitment is to ensure better healthcare facilities across Uttarakhand and provide maximum medical education opportunities to the state’s youth.He said the opening of six new medical and nursing institutions, along with investments in healthcare infrastructure and cashless treatment schemes, reflects the government’s commitment to building a stronger and more accessible healthcare system.
