New Delhi, Oct 1: Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin made history by being appointed as the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) on Tuesday, becoming the first woman officer to assume the prestigious post, as per an official press release.
Before taking over as the 46th DGAFMS, Vice Admiral Sarin held various prominent roles including Director General of Medical Services in the Navy, Director General of Medical Services in the Air Force, and Director and Commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune.
An alumna of AFMC, Pune, Vice Admiral Sarin was commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services in December 1985. She holds an MD in Radiodiagnosis from AFMC, Pune, a Diplomate of National Board in Radiation Oncology from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, and has received specialized training in Gamma Knife Surgery from the University of Pittsburgh.
Over her 38-year career, Vice Admiral Sarin has held numerous academic and administrative positions, such as Professor and Head of Radiation Oncology at Army Hospital (R&R) and AFMC Pune, and Commanding Officer at INHS Asvini. She has also served in leadership roles in the Indian Navy’s Southern and Western Naval Commands.
Remarkably, she has the rare distinction of serving in all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces—rising from Lieutenant to Captain in the Indian Army, Surgeon Lieutenant to Surgeon Vice Admiral in the Indian Navy, and as an Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force.
Her contributions to patient care and military medicine have been widely recognized. She was awarded the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 2024 and the Vishist Seva Medal in 2021. Additionally, she has received multiple commendations from the Chiefs of Army and Naval Staff as well as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
Vice Admiral Sarin was recently appointed by the Supreme Court to the National Task Force aimed at ensuring safe working conditions and protocols for medical professionals.
As DGAFMS, she will be responsible for advising the Ministry of Defence on all medical policies pertaining to the Indian Armed Forces.
