In a significant boost to medical education and specialist healthcare services in Odisha, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), New Delhi, has approved 11 post-diploma Diplomate of National Board (DNB) seats across three government medical colleges in the state.
This is the first time such seats have been sanctioned in these institutions, and counselling for them will also be conducted in Odisha for the first time.
The approved seats are distributed across five broad specialties — Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases (TB & CD), and Anaesthesiology. The three colleges that have received the recognition are Sri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital in Puri, Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir, and Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Koraput.
Of the total 11 seats, five have been reserved for doctors already serving in the Odisha government health services, while the remaining six will be available under the All-India quota.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling said the approval would strengthen specialist services at the primary healthcare level. “Under the double-engine government, these specialist doctors will be able to serve at Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and sub-divisional hospitals,” he stated.
The Minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, noting that the continuous support and guidance of both the Centre and the State governments had made this possible. He described the development as a new milestone in the expansion of medical education in Odisha.
Officials said the new post-diploma DNB training opportunities would help increase the number of specialist doctors in the state, enable in-service doctors to pursue higher postgraduate training without leaving government service, and improve the availability of quality healthcare for the people of Odisha.
