The Indian Army, with its vast operational base, functions in extreme temperatures ranging from +50°C in deserts to -50°C in Siachen. With hostile neighbors, its 24×7 readiness cannot be overstated.
In addition to the health hazards posed by deployment in extreme conditions, injuries resulting from enemy actions are a constant threat. To maintain the morale of the forces, the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) remains prepared to handle medical emergencies throughout the year.
Medical Services in Armed Forces
The AFMS ensures comprehensive, round-the-clock medical treatment for all serving personnel and their dependents, irrespective of their posting location. Ex-servicemen (ESM) and their dependents are also covered under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) post-retirement.
Medical Setup in Field Areas
AFMS provides services ranging from basic first aid at Primary Health Centers to complex surgeries like heart, kidney, or liver transplants at tertiary care hospitals.
In field areas, medical teams, including doctors and paramedics, are stationed in remote locations at Regimental Aid Posts (RAP). Essential first aid and emergency medical care are administered at RAPs to minimize morbidity and mortality. Stabilized patients are transported in service ambulances to specialized centers, typically a Field Hospital located near operational areas.
Forward Surgical Centers (FSCs) within Field Hospitals have surgical teams capable of performing 10–12 emergency surgeries within 24 hours. Critical care is managed by anesthetists trained in emergency interventions. Blood Supply Units cater to any need for blood or plasma.
In severe cases requiring advanced care, patients are airlifted to the nearest General Hospital (GH) or Command Hospital (CH) using Air Force helicopters.
Medical Setup in Peace Areas
AFMS ensures comprehensive care for soldiers in peace locations and their dependents. Each military station or cantonment has a Military Hospital equipped with basic specialists offering outpatient and inpatient services.
Smaller satellite stations have Station Medical Inspection Rooms (MI Rooms), staffed round the clock by medical officers and paramedics. Even independent non-medical units are equipped with MI Rooms and ambulances.
Medicines are dispensed at pharmacy counters, and diagnostic investigations are conducted within hospital premises. If specialized tests are unavailable, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with nearby civilian facilities ensure timely access. Patients requiring super-specialist care are referred to Command Hospitals, Base Hospitals, or the Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi. In emergencies, patients may be referred to civilian super-specialty hospitals, with expenses reimbursed later.
ECHS
AFMS is committed to providing ESM and their dependents with comprehensive outpatient and inpatient care. Numerous ECHS Polyclinics have been established nationwide, including in non-military areas with large ESM populations. During emergencies, ESM are entitled to treatment at empaneled multi-specialty private hospitals.
Aid to Civil Authorities
AFMS often assists civil authorities on humanitarian grounds. Field Hospitals were mobilized during the Latur earthquake, the tsunami, and the Nepal earthquake, among others. AFMS also played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing isolation wards across the country. Recently, Army Medical teams were deployed during the Wayanad landslides.
Medical camps are frequently held in remote villages, offering free outpatient services, investigations, and medicines to communities with limited access to healthcare.
Aid to Foreign Countries
AFMS provides medical assistance during natural disasters abroad. For example, a Field Hospital was established in the Hatay region of Iskenderun after the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey, treating 3,600 patients.
AFMS’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping missions has also been widely recognized. Medical personnel are currently deployed in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 1998, Congo (MONUSCO) since 2005, Sudan and South Sudan (UNMIS/UNMISS) since 2005, and the Golan Heights (UNDOF) since 2006.
Way Forward
AFMS is continuously upgrading its services with state-of-the-art medical equipment. CT scan and MRI centers are being commissioned at Zonal Hospitals, and advanced diagnostic kits and laboratory equipment are being procured.
More specialists are being trained as super-specialists, with plans for all Zonal Hospitals to eventually have cardiologists, nephrologists, and neurologists. ECHS Polyclinics are also being upgraded to provide a more patient-friendly experience.
