AFMC TO HOST AFMRC FROM 07 TO 10 FEB 2017: FOCUS ON RESEARCH AND STRATEGIES AIMED AT EMERGING HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES IN ARMED FORCES

Pune – The 65 th Annual Armed Forces Medical Conference, including the 55 th Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC) Meeting is being organized at Armed Forces Medical College, Pune from 07 to 10 Feb 2017, under the overall supervision of Air Marshal C K Ranjan, Director and Commandant.

This conference is the largest gathering of armed forces medical personnel and the only multi-specialty conference of its kind in the country.

The four day conference will discuss a wide spectrum of professional issues concerning the Armed Forces Medical Services. This year, AFMRC will focus its special attention on formulating strategies and innovations directed at emerging healthcare challenges that are likely to be faced by the Armed Forces.

The conference, which is the highpoint of the annual academic calendar of
AFMS, will be formally inaugurated by Lt Gen M K Unni, director general, Armed Forces Medical Services on 7 February. The conference will commence with presentation of twenty awards for excellence in academics in post graduate and in-service training courses, by DGAFMS.

This will be followed by presentation of award winning AFMRC projects. These include studies carried out on methods for blood pressure control in acute phase of intracerebral haemorrhage, blood flow assessment in In-vitro fertilization (IVF) and evaluation of growth indicator tubes in isolation of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Other sessions of the day will include meetings of the Armed Forces Medical Academic Committee, AFMC Management Committee, MJAFI Governing Council and Governing Council of AFMS (O) Fund. At the core of the deliberations will be the 55 th Annual meeting of Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC) on 08 and 09 Feb 2017. This forum provides direction and impetus to medical research in the Armed Forces. This year more than 175 new research proposals will be discussed. AFMC, Pune has submitted 37 new research projects.

There will be guest lectures by eminent personalities from the field of medical science, including Lt Gen A S Narula and Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and secretary,department of health research, Government of India.

A session devoted to presentation of award winning research papers published during 2016 is scheduled to be held on 09 Feb 2017. A new 1000 seater Examination Hall called ‘Aprameya’ will be inaugurated on
10 Feb 2017 by the DGAFMS.

Specialists Conferences will be held separately by Departments of AFMC for practicing specialist officers of their respective disciplines. They will also review completed AFMRC Projects of their own disciplines. There will a special session devoted to perspective challenges where medical administrative issues will be discussed with a view to improving quality of health care as well as development of human resources within the AFMS. The deliberations will conclude with a closing address by the DGAFMS.

The first AFMRC was organized in 1953. Over the years the conference has gradually expanded in scope to become a forum for planning, evaluation and implementation not only of research but also innovations in health care. While the principal focus of research is related to the requirements of the Armed Forces, the results achieved are made available to all health care professionals.

The high standard of health care provided to the Armed Forces personnel and their families, in war and peace is the result of a carefully planned and controlled system of optimum utilization of resources to benefit the largest number of patients.