IDA urges labour minister to sanction ESIC medical, dental college in Jammu

The Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu Branch, has expressed deep disappointment and concern over the continued neglect of J&K during expansion of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical and dental institutions across the country.

Dr. Vibha Raina, Honorary Secretary, Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu Branch, said that the people of J&K were eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new ESIC Medical and Dental College, which would have enabled admission of a fresh batch of MBBS and BDS students for the session 2026 through NEET.

However, J&K has once again been omitted from the recent plans to sanction medical and dental college of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). She said that the people were confident that all the major central educational institutions will be sanctioned for the J&K UT but in case of ESIC Medical and Dental college, J&K was completely ignored, while it has been sanctioned in all the neighbouring states.

According to official data, there are currently 20 active ESIC Medical institutes across India, with one more recently sanctioned in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Shockingly, Jammu & Kashmir has received zero allocation for any ESIC Medical or Dental institution. In contrast, neighboring states such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Rajasthan (both with two medical colleges) have been beneficiaries of this expansion. ESIC also has Dental Colleges in Gulbarga, Rohini and recently announced Dental College with UG and PG facility at Basaidarapur, New Delhi.

The IDA Jammu Branch highlighted that the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has recently approved 10 new Medical Colleges as part of the national push to expand medical education. This aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s announcement aiming for 75,000 new medical seats nationwide. Despite these ambitious national goals, the complete absence of any ESIC medical or dental college in Jammu raises serious questions about regional healthcare parity and equitable development. Although ESIC has opened a new 30 bedded hospital in Ompora, Budgam and has upgraded the Bari Brahmana hospital from 50 to 100 bedded facility, but giving all the neighbouring states a medical college and ignoring only J&K for a medical institution seems like stepmotherly treatment with our Union Territory.

“It is a matter of grave concern that while the nation is expanding medical infrastructure at a rapid pace, Jammu continues to face step-motherly treatment. The ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana is a well-established facility but lacks academic attachment, depriving local students of opportunities in medical and dental education. There is high demand for MBBS and BDS courses in the region, and strengthening dental and medical infrastructure is an immediate necessity for workforce development,” Dr. Raina stated.

The Association has urged the ESIC authorities to immediately review the healthcare infrastructure distribution with a focus on Jammu. The specific demands include: immediate reconsideration of Jammu for ESIC Medical and Dental institutional sanction, approval for a joint Medical and Dental College campus, sanction of MBBS and BDS seats in the upcoming academic session i.e. 2026 through NEET exam, integration of academic facilities with the existing ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana which has also emerged as the industrial hub of J&K.

The Indian Dental Association, Jammu Branch, emphasized that equity in medical and dental education is essential for balanced regional development and urged the Union Government, ESIC authorities, and the Jammu & Kashmir administration to address this longstanding disparity at the earliest.