Department of Military Medicine: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, virtually opened a new Department of Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow. This is India’s first academic and operational department made only for military medicine, and it has been set up under the Directorate General of Medical Services (Army). The Ministry of Defence said the aim is to make the Armed Forces Medical Services stronger by improving combat medical readiness, research, new Indian doctrines, and special skills for battlefields and emergency situations.
The new department is meant to grow in stages. It will begin with academic work and training. Later, it will expand into Centres of Excellence for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, also called HADR, and for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives defence, also known as CBRNE defence. The long-term plan is to turn it into an internationally known centre for military medicine.
Rafale MRFA Deal Gets New Structure As Dassault Avoids MMRCA Mistakes
The New Department
At the inauguration, Mr. Singh said, “The strength and morale of the military form the foundation of a nation’s sovereignty and progress,” and he added that the new department would give better medical support to troops so they can feel safe about getting timely care during operations. He also said, “Indian soldiers serve in some of the world’s toughest operational environments and require medical protocols tailored to extreme conditions,” and warned that the armed forces must also get ready for new threats, including weapons of mass destruction.
He also said, “Preventive healthcare is the first line of defence,” and called for more use of Artificial Intelligence, wearable devices, predictive analytics, and better diagnostic tools to track soldiers’ health and keep them fit for duty. The Ministry said the department will support modern battlefield care through simulation-based training, telemedicine, prolonged field care, and AI-based medical support systems.
PAC Flags Dhanush Gun Delays, Warns of Impact on Army Readiness
What the Department will Focus on?
The Department of Military Medicine will work on several important areas. These include military trauma and damage control, combat psychiatry and resilience, environmental and operational medicine, military medical logistics, medical response for CBRNE defence, emergency medicine, disaster medicine, and HADR. It will also help with research, audits, and data analytics.
