Raja Syed Rather
The Union Government has approved three new medical colleges for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for expanding medical education in underserved regions.
According to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Jammu & Kashmir will get new medical colleges in Udhampur and Handwara (Kupwara district), while Ladakh will have its first-ever medical college in Leh.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to strengthen healthcare education by establishing 157 new medical colleges across India, with a focus on aspirational districts and border regions, the ministry said.
It said these new institutions aim to improve access to medical education and address the shortage of healthcare professionals in remote areas.
In addition to the newly approved colleges, Jammu & Kashmir already has five medical colleges in Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua, established under earlier phases of the scheme. The government has also approved 196 PG seats and 60 MBBS seats for various medical institutions in the region to enhance medical education opportunities.
The AIIMS project in Awantipora, Kashmir, and AIIMS Vijaypur, Jammu, are progressing steadily, with the government allocating 2,326.23 crore for their construction, the government said.
These two AIIMS facilities are expected to become the primary tertiary healthcare centres for the region, reducing the need for patients to travel outside J&K for specialized medical treatment.
