Kashmir- As part of a major expansion of medical education in the Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Friday that the government is taking concrete steps to strengthen the foundations of the healthcare sector. This year, 548 new medical seats will be added to increase educational capacity.This announcement was made during the budget presentation in the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister announced, “This year, we are adding 548 medical seats to increase educational capacity.” These seats include 340 new MBBS seats, 128 postgraduate seats, 34 postgraduate Ayurveda seats, and 46 Diplomate of National Board (DNB) seats.Also Read: AIIMS Jammu emerges as National Healthcare Beacon, says Executive DirectorAdditionally, the Chief Minister also confirmed that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kashmir will be operational by June 2026, as reported by DailyExcelsior.Meanwhile, Medical Dialogues had recently reported that a controversy at the Government Medical College (GMC), Udhampur, triggered by a video of heated arguments between doctors and a BJP MLA going viral on social media, has prompted the Jammu and Kashmir Government to order a detailed enquiry into the incident.The incident took place on January 27, when a BJP MLA visited the medical college hospital seeking a meeting with doctors following the death of a civilian from the Sangoor area a few days earlier. What was intended as an official interaction quickly escalated into a verbal confrontation, parts of which were livestreamed online, drawing widespread attention and criticism.Several doctors objected to the livestreaming of the official meeting, which evoked sharp reactions from netizens online. “It’s a new medical college. There could be many gaps, but good things need to be acknowledged by the MLA, too. Moreover, the official meeting should not have been livestreamed,” a doctor said on condition of anonymity.Also Read: AIIMS Awantipora set for completion by next year, says Omar Abdullah