Historic Milestone: Women lead medical branches of Army and Navy

With the appointment of Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai as Director General Medical Services (Navy) on October 14, the medical branches of two out of the three Armed Forces are now headed by women officers.

Earlier this month, another woman three-star officer, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, had scripted history when she took over as Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), overseeing medical services in all three services.

On August 1, Lt Gen Sadhna Nair had become the first woman officer to be appointed as Director General Medical Services (Army). Prior to this, she was serving as Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), in the equivalent rank of Air Marshal and was also the first woman to hold this post.

There are a total of 10 posts of Lieutenant General and equivalent in the medical stream across all three services out of which three, including the top post are at present held by women officers.

A tri-service entity, the Directorate General, Armed Forces Medical Services, directly reports to the Ministry of Defence on overall medical policy matters relating to the Armed Forces and the functioning of military medical establishments. Medical officers can be cross-posted to any of the three services, during which they wear the uniform and badges of rank of the respective service.

So far, about eight women officers have reached the rank of Lieutenant General and equivalent, all from the medical stream. In September 2002, Lt Gen Punita Arora had become the first woman officer to reach three-star rank when she was appointed as Commandant of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune. A woman officer has also headed the Air Force medical branch in the past.

Prior to assuming charge as the DGMS (Navy), Surgeon Vice Admiral Sahai was serving as Commandant of Army Medical Corps (AMC) Centre and College, Lucknow, the first woman to hold the post. She is also the first woman officer to be elected as the Colonel Commandant of AMC.

Commissioned in December 1986 from AFMC, she specialised in pathology and super-specialised in oncopathology from AIIMS, New Delhi. She is a recipient of Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research Fellowship from Philadelphia, USA, and has been decorated with the Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.