Surg Vice Adm Yogendra Singh New DGAFMS

New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) Surg Vice Admiral Yogendra Singh took over here today as Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, succeeding Surg Vice Adm Vijai Kumar Singh who retired from service yesterday.

An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, he passed his MBBS in 1968 and was commissioned in the Army Medical Corps on January 27, 1969. He did his advanced course in General Surgery from AFMC Pune during 1975-1977 and obtained MS degree in General Surgery from Pune University.

As a young surgeon, he was on deputation to the Oman Armed Forces Base Hospital from 1979 to 1982. For his meritorious service and dedication to duty as Surgeon at 153 General Hospital at Leh during the peak of the Siachen conflict in 1986 he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

The Surg Vice Adm has held several prestigious appointments -- both as a specialist and administrator. He is a Post Graduate teacher and examiner in Surgery at Pune and Delhi Universities.

After commanding Medical Hospital Agra, he was Deputy Commandant of the prestigious Army Hospital (R&R) Delhi.

On February 16, 2004, he then took over as Dean and Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune -- the first alumnus of the college to do so -- where he was closely associated with the training of medical cadets and specialists .

He took over the reins of the Army Medical Corps Centre&School, Lucknow on December 1, 2005 before moving on as Director General Medical Services (Navy) on June 1, 2006.

He was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the President of India on October 6, 2006.

The Flag officer is a keen sportsman with several achievements to his credit. He has had the rare distinction of representing the country twice in international athletics meets -- and won the gold medal in the triple jump event at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Games at Colombo in 1970.

UNI