Srinagar, July 31 (IANS): Medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir would admit 150 additional aspiring medicos from this year after the enhancement of seats in the four medical colleges in the state.

Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohiuddin Wednesday directed the board of professional entrance examination (BOPEE) to include MBBS seats, which were increased by the Medical Council of India (MCI), while selecting candidates for the doctoral course this academic session.

This follows a letter of confirmation of 150 increased seats in state-run medical colleges of J&K from the board of governors of MCI Wednesday.

The MCI had recently decided to the increase in the intake capacity of government medical colleges of Srinagar and Jammu from 100 to 150 and that of SKIMS Medical College Bemina (Srinagar) from 50 to 100. The number of seats in a government recognised private medical college in Jammu has also gone up from 50 to 100.

The increase was necessary to fill the shortage of qualified medicos due to the expansion of the health infrastructure, especially in rural and hilly areas.

The intake capacity of the two government-run medical colleges was fixed some 40 years ago.