Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff (COSC & CNS) Admiral Sunil Lanba officially inaugurated the 42nd ICMM World Congress on Military Medicine in a glittering ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan here today. The COSC & CNS emphasised the importance of Military Medicine which provides the medical support required by troops deployed in combat as also in their peace time duties. Admiral Lanba lauded the efforts of the organisers in conceptualising this World Congress with the theme of ‘Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead’, which would address its ever evolving role depending on its myriad combat and non combat responsibilities. Delegates from 75 member nations of the International Committee on Military Medicine (ICMM) were officially welcomed by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Lt Gen Bipin Puri.
The ceremony was also attended by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, Defence Secretary Shri Sanjay Mitra, outgoing Chairman of the General Assembly and the Committee of ICMM Major General Terawan Agus Putranto from Indonesia, Vice Chairman Maj Gen Al Juaid from Saudi Arabia, other dignitaries from the ICMM Secretariat, Vice Chairman & former DGAFMS and Senior Colonel Comdt of the Army Medical Corps Lt Gen M K Unni, Secretary General Roger Van Hoof from Belgium, Chairman of the Scientific Council Maj Gen Marc Morillon from France and Scientists and Research Professionals from numerous Research Institutes in India and abroad. The highlights of the day’s proceedings included a scintillating cultural show by the medical cadets of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune that enthralled the audience. The keynote address was delivered by Lt Gen N K Parmar (Retd). A panel discussion on ‘Women in Combat: Challenges for Healthcare Providers’ provoked much discussion and debate. A plenary session on ‘Innovations in Field Medical Care’ was also held.