New Delhi [India], April 3 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday highlighted the importance of keeping pace with technological advancements in the medical sector, particularly within the Army Medical Corps (AMC), to enhance healthcare services for soldiers.
Singh was addressing the 261stRaising Day celebrations of AMC at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantonment.
"The medical sector is going through a phase of technological transformation across the globe, and the Army Medical Corps (AMC) must continue adopting latest advancements to provide quality health services to our soldiers," said Defence Minister.
While Singh acknowledged AMC's efforts of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and carrying out research in cutting-edge tech, he stressed on the need to stay abreast with evolving practices to achieve new breakthroughs in the field.
He pitched for encouraging simulator-based training, wherein expertise in medical procedure is achieved through machine-based learning.
He batted for additional research and training centres for the personnel to achieve this proficiency.
Singh highlighted the need to develop dual-use technologies, which can prove to be beneficial to both defence and civilian sectors. "Civil-military convergence in the field of defence technology is crucial for the overall development," he said, while commending AMC for working with academia such as ICMR, IITs & AIIMS and medical organisations of other countries.
He also urged AMC to explore the possibility of training medical professionals of other developing and under-developed countries to increase India's stature in the field of military diplomacy.
He appreciated the remarkable contribution of AMC in reforming the health sector - from infrastructure to services and policy making to implementation.
Further, he stated, "AMC has strengthened the combat medical readiness of the Armed Forces by introducing Advanced Mobile Surgical Units and Rapid Response Medical teams. Indigenous Trauma Management System and AI-powered medical triage systems have improved emergency response time & patient care."
He pointed out, "The services of AMC are not limited to the serving soldiers, and they continuously strive for the well-being of the ex-servicemen and their families."
He made special mention of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, the incumbent and first female Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), describing her as a shining example of the growing Nari Shakti in the military.
On the occasion, Singh presented the Raksha Mantri Trophy in recognition of the outstanding performance in the delivery of healthcare to Armed Forces personnel. The trophy for the best hospital in AFMS for 2024 was awarded to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, while the second-best hospital trophy was given to Command Hospital, Western Command, Chandimandir, Haryana.