Defence Ministry Inaugurates Department of Military Medicine in Lucknow
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on July 29, 2026. This establishment marks India's first dedicated academic and operational department exclusively focused on military medicine, created under the aegis of the Directorate General of Medical Services (Army) to significantly strengthen the operational medical preparedness of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).
The Department will serve as an R&D hub and Centre of Excellence focusing on key disciplines including Military Trauma and Damage Control; Combat Psychiatry & Resilience; Environmental & Operational Medicine; Military Medical Logistics; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear & Explosive (CBRNe) Medical Response; Emergency Medicine & Critical Care; Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) as well as Research, Audit & Data Analytics. It will foster innovation in technology-enabled battlefield medicine, simulation-based training, telemedicine, prolonged field care and medical decision support.
Development will occur in three phases: initial establishment and commencement of academic programmes, followed by creation of Centres of Excellence in HADR and CBRNe medicine, and eventual evolution into a nationally and internationally recognised centre for military medicine. The department will provide structured education and training in military and operational medicine, facilitate postgraduate programmes in combat medicine, combat surgery and trauma care, and promote indigenous research tailored to India's operational requirements.
Raksha Mantri emphasized that preventive healthcare should be viewed as the first line of defence, calling for technology-driven systems using AI, wearable devices, predictive analytics, and advanced diagnostics for real-time monitoring of soldiers' health and early identification of potential health risks. The establishment aligns with the Government's vision of strengthening indigenous capabilities and complements the proposed Global Military Medicine Centre envisioned under the Raksha Strategy Vision 2026-30.
The inauguration was attended by senior officials including Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth; Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh; Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta; DG AFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin; and other senior military and defence officials.