The Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot (AFMSD), Delhi Cantonment hosted the 60th annual Depot Commanders Conference recently. At this forum, DG-2 Group of the Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services, Commandants and Commanding Officers of all AFMSDs and forward medical stores depots and representatives of DGMS Army, Navy, Air Force and Quality Control organisation took part in deliberations and discussions on policy matters related to provisioning and supply of medical stores. The conference was inaugurated by Lt Gen RK Jetley, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) and Senior Colonel Commandant, Army Medical Corps (AMC).

Maj Gen A Chakravarti, Additional Director General (E&S) while highlighting various milestones achieved by the medical stores, pointed out that improved procurement of medical stores has resulted in an increased availability of drugs to patients and better clientele satisfaction. At the same time, thrust in procurement of sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic equipment has resulted in modernisation of the Armed Forces hospitals and field medical units. There has been a massive procurement and supply of all types of medical stores for operation Parakram.

AFMSD, Delhi once again won the Best Depot Trophy for 2001-02 for the fourth year in succession. The DGAFMS presented the trophy to Brig YK Goorha, Commandant of the depot. He lauded the role of AFMSD, for timely supply of all stores for mobilisation and war efforts for entire operational formations of Northern, Western and Southern Commands and also additional formations in Eastern and Central Commands. This would not have been possible without exceptional planning and motivation skills displayed by the depot leadership, he added. The depot has the additional task of equipping various foreign UN missions and humanitarian missions to Afghanistan, Lebanon and other locations with medical stores. It had a turnover of medical stores almost equal to combined turnover of other two depots in Mumbai and Lucknow.

The Delhi depot has the unique distinction of being the first and the only medical stores depot to have developed special software for a computerised inventory management.