New Delhi: Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, a distinguished physician and gastroenterologist, on Tuesday assumed charge as the new Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
His appointment comes at a time of significant transformation within the AFMS, with continuing emphasis on operational medical preparedness, jointness, modernisation of military healthcare, digital health, medical research and innovation, human resource development and delivery of high-quality healthcare to serving personnel, veterans and their dependents, officials said.
As the DGAFMS, Air Marshal Thareja will oversee the provision of comprehensive medical support to the defence forces.
An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, he was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1986.
"A distinguished physician and gastroenterologist, he completed his MD in medicine from Delhi and DM in gastroenterology from AIIMS, New Delhi," the defence ministry said in a statement.
During an illustrious career spanning nearly four decades, the air marshal has held a wide spectrum of clinical, academic, operational and administrative appointments.
His important command and administrative assignments include Commandant, 167 Military Hospital, Brigadier In-Charge Administration and Commander Troops, Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment and Commandant, Command Hospital (Central Command), the ministry said.
His tenure at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment during the Covid-19 pandemic was marked by the management of complex and rapidly evolving healthcare and administrative challenges, the officials said.
When he was in-charge of the Command Hospital, Lucknow, the detailed project report for a new command hospital was prepared in "record time," the ministry said.
As Director and Commandant at AFMC Pune, he spearheaded several initiatives aimed at strengthening medical education and research.
"As DGMS (Air) he gave thrust to Gaganyaan Mission and was the leading force behind Analogue experiments to astronaut selection and training. BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) cubes were gifted to the Maldives by the prime minister and as part of HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) to Jamaica, Cuba, Sri Lanka and Myanmar under his stewardship," the statement said.
Prior to taking over as DGAFMS, Air Marshal Thareja laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi and paid homage to the fallen heroes.
Also, Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb assumed the charge of Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday.
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The air marshal, after taking over, laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in honour of the personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.
The air officer was commissioned in the IAF on September 3, 1988 in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical Branch). He has extensive field experience on IL-76, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and Boeing 737-200 aircraft, the defence ministry said.
He was the lead engineer and team leader of the Air HQ Project Management Team for induction of the first IL-78 Flight Refueller Aircraft (FRA) into IAF in 2003. The air officer is an alumnus of Bangladesh Flight Safety Institute and the prestigious Indian Institute of Public Administration.
He succeeds Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia, who superannuated on August 31, after 39 years of distinguished service to the nation, it said.
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