First dedicated Department of Military Medicine comes up in Lucknow

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) virtually inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow. This is India’s first dedicated academic and operational department focused exclusively on military medicine.

Established under the Directorate General of Medical Services (Army), the new department seeks to strengthen operational medical preparedness of the Armed Forces Medical Services by improving combat medical readiness, research, development of indigenous doctrines, and specialised expertise for battlefields and humanitarian contingencies, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The facility will be developed in phases, starting with academic programmes before expanding into Centres of Excellence for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE) defence, with the long-term goal of growing into an internationally recognised hub for military medicine.

The strength and morale of the military form the foundation of a nation’s sovereignty and progress, Mr. Singh said at the inauguration, expressing confidence that the department would provide advanced medical support to troops, imparting confidence in timely care during operations.

Indian soldiers serve in some of the world’s toughest operational environments and require medical protocols tailored to extreme conditions, Mr. Singh said, stressing the need to prepare for emerging threats, including weapons of mass destruction.

Preventive healthcare is the first line of defence, he said, calling for greater use of Artificial Intelligence, wearable devices, predictive analytics, and advanced diagnostics to monitor soldiers’ health and improve combat readiness.

The Department of Military Medicine will focus on specialised disciplines, including military trauma and damage control; combat psychiatry and resilience; environmental and operational medicine; military medical logistics; medical response to CBRNE defence; emergency medicine, disaster medicine; and HADR, apart from research, audit, and data analytics. It will also support innovation in battlefield medicine through simulation-based training, telemedicine, prolonged field care, and AI-enabled medical decision support.

The new department is aligned with the Centre’s focus on indigenous capabilities, and complements the proposed Global Military Medicine Centre under the Raksha Strategy Vision 2026-30, the Ministry said.