Army’s 60 Para Field Hospital earns global recognition through relief mission: DG AFMS Arti Sarin

Pune, Jul 10 (PTI) The 60 Para Field Hospital of the Army Medical Corps, deployed for earthquake relief operations in Venezuela, has earned India recognition for being ready to respond “anytime, anywhere, globally”, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Vice Admiral Arti Sarin said on Friday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Passing Out Parade of medical cadets of the Armed Forces Medical College, she said the airborne field hospital was mobilised within hours of the earthquake and began providing medical assistance immediately after reaching the affected area. In a gesture of solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, India launched ‘Operation Amistad’, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission, in response to the devastating earthquake that has caused extensive loss of life, injuries and widespread destruction. “They took off as fast as they could when the tragedy happened. We, in the Army Medical Corps, are always prepared 24/7/365. So, it was a very quick response,” she said. The team flew for several hours, established its hospital at a pre-designated site identified by the host government, and started providing treatment, including first aid and surgeries, she said. “The population was extremely grateful, as you could see on social media. There were several social media posts on that. They did a lot of initial first aid, surgeries,” she said. Vice Admiral Sarin said the 60 Para Field Hospital has a distinguished history of humanitarian assistance missions dating back to its deployment in Korea in the 1950s. “This particular unit is actually known for it, right from the 50s when they were deployed in Korea. They have excelled themselves at every mission that they have gone for, and have earned the nation a very, very good name,” she said. She said the unit has been deployed in several major international relief operations in recent years, including ‘Operation Dost’ in Turkey following the 2023 earthquake, ‘Operation Brahma’ in Myanmar, a humanitarian mission to Sri Lanka in December 2025, and the ongoing ‘Operation Amistad’ in Venezuela. Sarin said the hospital is designed to respond to both national and international disasters and can be deployed either in full or in modular components depending on operational requirements. “They always respond to any national as well as international (emergency). That’s why I said ‘anytime, anywhere’. We don’t deploy the whole place. We can deploy parts of them also,” she said. Emphasising the Armed Forces Medical Services’ integrated functioning, she said its doctors, nursing officers and soldiers undergo common training that enables them to work seamlessly across the Army, Navy and Air Force. She said personnel are routinely posted across the three services. Speaking about their preparation on handling “chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive” incidents, she said the Armed Forces Medical Services is strengthening training in CBRNE response to prepare medical officers for the evolving nature of modern warfare. Sarin said the training begins at the undergraduate level and extends through specialised certified courses and field exercises. “We are very vigilant about it. As an entire corps, we are taking all steps to train medical officers, nursing officers, nursing assistants and non-technical officers on how to deal with CBRNE situations,” she said. Sarin said the Armed Force Medical College had organised a comprehensive demonstration on CBRNE response during its Medimeet held in February this year, showcasing the preparedness of its cadets. Responding to a question about women in the AFMS, she said 25 women cadets were commissioned in the current batch. “We are intending for the ceiling to go up to 25 per cent by 2030, and we are well on our way to achieving that in our induction programmes,” she said. Sarin said career progression in the Army Medical Corps is based entirely on merit. “Retention in the Armed Forces Medical Services is purely on merit. If you are good at your job and doing well in your profession wherever you are posted, you will be selected,” she said. Highlighting women’s leadership in the AFMS, Sarin said the services have had women in senior leadership positions for decades. PTI SPK NR