The Armed Force Medical Services (AFMS) is an inter-services organisation under the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

, covering the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

. It came into existence in 1948. The current Director General Armed Forces Medical Services is Surg Vice Adm Arti Sarin, who assumed the position on 1 October 2024. The Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, a three-star officer, is the head of the Armed Forces Medical Services and is responsible to the Government for the overall medical policy in so far as they relate to the Armed Forces. Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena

History

In March 1947 the Armed Forces Medical Services and Research Integration Committee headed by Dr

Bidhan Chandra Roy Bidhan Chandra Roy (1 July 1882 – 1 July 1962) was an Indian physician and politician who served as Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1950 until his death in 1962. He played a key role in the founding of several institutions and cities like ...

was appointed by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

to consider the integration of the three armed forces medical services. The committee recommended that there should be three branches of the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services i.e.

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

and

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

and that there should be a Supreme Controller of all the three medical services designated as Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) who would be the advisor to the Supreme Commander or the

Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

as the case may be, regarding the medical needs of the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

. They would be the administrative head of the Armed Forces Medical Services. Accordingly, the Government in 1948 integrated the medical services of the

Royal Indian Navy The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British Raj, British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the British Indian Army, Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the ...

, the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

and the

Royal Indian Air Force The Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) was the aerial force of British Raj, British India and later the Dominion of India. Along with the British Indian Army, and the Royal Indian Navy, it was one of the Armed Forces of British Indian Empire. The ...

into the Armed Forces Medical Service and placed the services under the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services with the rank of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

/ Air Marshal. The Government also laid down the role and character of responsibilities of DGAFMS. The DGAFMS was made directly responsible to the

for overall medical policy matters in so far as they relate to the Armed Forces. The Government further laid down that the heads of medical services of Army, Navy and Air Force will be responsible for functioning of these services under the respective Service Chiefs in accordance with any general policy directions that may be given by the DGAFMS. The charter has since been amended and updated from time to time.

Organisation

The Director General Armed Forces Medical Services heads the entire AFMS. The Director Generals of Medical Services of Army, Navy and Air Force are responsible for overseeing the functioning of the hospitals of the respective Services and also are the medical advisors to their respective Chief of Staff. The AFMS consists of Army Medical Corps (AMC) including AMC (NT), Army Dental Corps (AD Corps) and Military Nursing Service (MNS).

Classification of hospitals

Hospitals in the Army are classified into various categories as Sectional, Peripheral, Mid Zonal, Zonal, Command, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), based on bed strength and extent of availability of specialties.

Training institutions

The Armed Forces Medical College,

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

(AFMC) is the premier training institution of the AFMS established in May 1948. Other select hospitals such as AH (R&R), CH (AF)

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

and INHS Ashwini

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

also impart post graduate training to the AMC officers. The College of Nursing at AFMC conducts a four-year degree course in Nursing.

References

External links