Caring Blues

The history of Air Force Medical Services begins with the induction of three Emergency Commissioned Officers and seven Medical Assistants into the newly formed Medical Branch in the Indian Air Force in January 1941. In 1943, Medical Training Centre was established for training IAF Nursing Orderlies (Medical Assistants). A few IAF medical officers were also given an opportunity to serve in active units in Burma during Second World War. In 1944, the government decided to train selected medical officers as pilots in order to give them first-hand knowledge of flying conditions. In 1947, the first doctor trained as pilot was awarded flying badge. By then, the number of medical officers grew to 54.

Station Medicare Centres at all Air Force stations provide a comprehensive care to Air Force personnel. They are backed by advanced institutes like Command Hospital, Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bangalore and Air Force Central Medical Establishment in New Delhi. Excellent peripheral hospitals have been established at Gorakhpur, Halwara, Hindon, Hashimara, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Amla to provide all specialist services in their zones. Command Hospital Air Force, Bangalore (CHAFB) is the largest hospital in the Indian Air Force. It provides medicare to serving and retired personnel and their families in and around Bangalore. The hospital is a referral node to service hospitals located in southern India. The present bed strength is 830. The hospital has affiliation with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore for conduct of MD/MS in medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, anaesthesia, dermatology, eye, ENT, radiology, pediatrics and pathology for service and civil doctors.

The School of Aerospace Medicine (SAM) was established in Bangalore on May 29, 1957. In 1963, a decompression chamber with altitude simulation capability of 1,00,000-ft and deep cooling upto minus 70 degree Celsius was acquired for studies in high altitude physiology. In 1967, a five-men hyperbaric chamber was set up. Later, it became Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM) in 1966. With increased thrust on space medicine, the IAM was renamed as Institute of Aerospace Medicine in 1989. The institute provided medical support to the Indo-Soviet Manned Space Flight programme in 1982. IAM was nominated to conduct medical evaluation for the first Indian Cosmonaut, Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma for the joint Indo-USSR space mission. Recognised by the US and Russian space agencies, IAM has become the premier aero-medical centre in the world. The institute conducts aeromedical evaluation of military and civil aircrew. It also studies the role of human factor in aircraft accidents.

IAM is recognised by the Medical Council of India and National Board of Examinations for training in aerospace medicine and award of MD degree in aerospace medicine. IAM offers training facilities to foreign nationals-both for medical officers and aircrew. It conducts various courses for medical officers, military and civil aircrew, paramedicos and other personnel. Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), Delhi undertakes medical evaluation of civil aircrew, NDA cadets selected for Air Force, Para Jump Instructors (PJI) and flying branch personnel from BSF and Coast Guard. In addition, it provides specialist OPD services to serving and retired Air Force personnel and their families. Flying modern aeroplanes requires a high degree of physical and mental fitness to withstand the stress. AFCME continues to render yeoman service in this direction contributing its bit to medical safety in aviation.