Lucknow, 29 July (HS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on

Wednesday virtually inaugurated the country's first dedicated Department of

Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow.

Established under the Directorate General of Army Medical Services (DGMS), the

department aims to strengthen military medicine, research, training, and

medical preparedness for future battlefields. The department will provide

modern medical support to soldiers and serve as a hub for research and

development of expertise in the field of military medicine.

Speaking at the inauguration, Union Defense Minister Rajnath

Singh stated that Indian soldiers are deployed in some of the world's most

difficult terrains and harsh weather. Therefore, developing specialized medical

protocols tailored to their needs is the need of the hour. He stated that this

department will strengthen the country's medical capabilities for future wars

and changing security challenges, while also boosting the morale of the

soldiers.

He stated that in this modern era, this department will

serve as a major center for research and development and prepare the country to

meet the challenges posed by new technologies. He described this as an

important step toward meeting future security needs. The Defense Minister

expressed hope that this department will serve as a training center for young

doctors of the Army Medical Corps in modern battlefield medicine, battlefield

nursing, and advanced trauma life support. Additionally, students will have the

opportunity to pursue super-specialization in military medicine, which will

strengthen India's global recognition in the field of military medicine.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that focusing on

disease prevention before treatment is a crucial component of national

security. He emphasized the need to utilize technologies such as AI, wearable

devices, predictive analytics, and advanced diagnostics to monitor soldiers'

health in real time and identify potential health risks early. According to

him, improved healthcare is directly linked to soldiers' combat effectiveness

and national security.

He stressed the need for preventive healthcare, saying it

should be viewed as the first line of defense before actual treatment. He

called for developing a system that can identify and mitigate health risks at

an early stage through disease surveillance, vaccination, hygiene, nutrition,

physical fitness, occupational health, and regular health checkups. He said

that preventive healthcare is directly linked to combat readiness and national

security. We can leverage technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI),

wearable devices, predictive analytics, and advanced diagnostics to monitor

soldiers' health in real time and identify potential health risks early.

Concluding his address, the Defence Minister described this

new Department of Military Medicine as a symbol of a revolutionary change in

the nation's military mindset. He said that together we must transform this

Department into the world's best 'Battlefield Medical Research Centre'.

The event was attended by Army Chief General Dheeraj Seth,

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant

General Sandeep Jain, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command

Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, Director General Army Medical Corps

Surgeon Vice Admiral Aarti Sareen, Adjutant General Lieutenant General VPS

Kaushik and Director General Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant Army

Medical Corps Lieutenant General CG Muraleedharan, Additional Secretary

Department of Defence Manish Tripathi, Commandant Command Hospital (Central

Command), Lucknow Major General Alok Bhalla and other senior officers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi