Army never lacked medical staff in forward areas

Lucknow, Aug 25: Scoffing at reports that the forward areas lacked medical facilities, Army has asserted the Field hospitals were well staffed and equipped to tackle any situation.

''Even our field hospitals in the most difficult terrain of Siachen are fully staffed and equipped,'' Armed Forces Medical Service top brass said.

Negating the reports about lack of doctors in the forward areas,the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Vice Admiral V K Singh said that such perception was totally 'unfounded' and 'far from being true'.

Like Siachen,the medical facilities at various field hospitals in Srinagar were also adequate, he said in reply to a poser by UNI.

Vice Admiral Singh said that doctors who join Army have to serve two years in field areas before being granted permission to do their post-graduation.

''Our hospitals follow a 'chain of evacuation.' If the patient cannot be treated at the field hospital, he is referred to the zonal hospital...Command hospitals come last with superspeciality treatment in various fields,'' he said.

''Likewise, it is also not appropriate to compare hospitals in civilian and military sector,'' he added.

To a question, he said Phase I of the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee recommendations have been implemented in AFMS. ''This will ensure that doctors attain the rank of Colonel in 24 years...300 additional posts of colonels have been created,'' he added.

There are over 200 military hospitals across the country which treat two crore patients.

The Vice Admiral was here to visit Army Central Command yesterday.

UNI