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 The
Naval Medical Services are distributed within three Naval Commands-
Western, Eastern, and Southern Commands alongwith the Integrated Command
at Andaman and Nicobar. Surg Vice Admiral Vijay Kumar Singh is the
Director General, Naval Medical Services.
INHS Asvini, a 825-bed super speciality hospital
in Mumbai is the largest hospital of Indian Navy with the latest equipment
and highly trained manpower. It is a command hospital and a teaching
centre for post-graduate students. Other important hospitals of Indian
Navy are INHS Jeevanti, Goa, INHS Kalyani, Visakhapatnam,
INHS Sanjivani, Kochi, INHS Kasturi, Lonavala, INHS Nivarini,
Chilka and INHS Dhanvantri, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. All these
hospitals have been equipped with modern facilities. In addition,
prestigious INS Viraat has a surgical team and a full-fledged
operation theatre complex.
 The
School of Medical Assistants (SOMA), Mumbai is a centre for training
Medical Assistants.
Most
of the ships are borne with a Medical Officer who provides basic medical
facilities in addition to advising on health and sanitation onboard. In
the event of any major mishap, the casualty is evacuated either to a large
ship with more facilities or to the nearest shore medical establishment.
This evacuation is performed through a unique naval measure known as ‘Jackstay’
where a stretcher-borne patient is transferred from one ship to another by
means of ropes and pulleys. The casualty may be evacuated by a helicopter
which, in the case of a submarine, involves winching the stretcher-borne
patient from submarine to a hovering helicopter. INS Nideshak, a
Survey class ship, is being modified as a hospital ship. This ship is set
to function as a mobile hospital.
 Naval
joint exercises amongst allied nations is a common feature. The medical
services are also an integral part of these exercises, as they provide a
platform for exchange of medical information with foreign navies.
Three
special units, INS Abhimanyu, MARCOS (E) and Diving School are
training centres for marine commandos. Specialists in marine medicine look
after the health needs of marine commandos.
 The
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Complex is equipped with mono place and
multi-place chambers for treating cases requiring hyperbaric therapy. It
also conducts research in diving and submarine and hyperbaric medicine.
The facilities of this complex are also utilised by other corporate
hospitals located in Mumbai.
Marine
medicine is a specialised medical field in the naval medical services.
Marine medicine, called underwater medicine and hyperbaric medicine,
earlier, focusses on ways and means of optimising the health and
performance of underwater and marine fighters. No expertise exists in the
field of marine medicine in the country other than with the Indian Navy.
Now plans are afoot for the establishment of a
Reconstructive Surgery Centre, Cardiac Centre and Orthopaedic Centre at
INHS Kalyani, Visakhapatnam. A 140-bed hospital at project Seabird,
Karwar and a 600-bed hospital at Naval Academy are also in the pipeline.
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