Lucknow: Military doctors treating battlefield injuries and preparing for chemical, biological and disaster emergencies will now have a dedicated training and research centre, with India opening its first Department of Military Medicine at Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow.Defence minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the department on Wednesday. Established under Directorate General of Medical Services (Army), the new facility will serve as the Armed Forces Medical Services’ central hub for teaching, research and developing medical practices tailored to military operations and emergency response.According to officials, the department will focus on military trauma and damage control, combat psychiatry, environmental and operational medicine, military medical logistics, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive medical response, emergency and critical care, disaster medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as research and data analytics.“It will also promote telemedicine, simulation-based training, prolonged field care and other technology-enabled medical systems,” added the official.The department will be developed in phases. The first phase will launch academic programmes, followed by dedicated centres for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive medicine, with the long-term goal of becoming a nationally and internationally recognised military medicine centre.Addressing the event, Rajnath said the department would help develop medical protocols for personnel serving in difficult operational environments and strengthen research into healthcare challenges unique to military service.He also stressed the importance of preventive healthcare and the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices and predictive analytics to monitor soldiers’ health.The department will offer postgraduate programmes in military medicine, combat surgery and trauma care, besides supporting indigenous research for the armed forces.
