The Indian Army’s 60 Para Field Hospital has earned global recognition for its swift and effective humanitarian response to the devastating earthquake in Venezuela. Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, said the elite medical unit has demonstrated India’s capability to respond “anytime, anywhere” to disasters worldwide.
Vice Admiral Sarin, who was in the city on Friday for the Passing Out Parade of medical cadets at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), said, “The airborne field hospital was mobilised within hours of the earthquake and began treating victims immediately after reaching the disaster-hit nation.”
India had launched Operation Amistad, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission, in solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela after the powerful earthquake caused widespread destruction, injuries and loss of life.
She said the medical team undertook a long-haul flight before establishing a fully functional field hospital at a location identified by the Venezuelan government. The hospital became operational almost immediately, providing emergency first aid, trauma care and life-saving surgeries to earthquake victims.
“They carried out a large number of first aid procedures and surgeries,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“They carried out a large number of first aid procedures and surgeries,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}She highlighted the unit’s recent international deployments, including Operation Dost in earthquake-hit Turkey in 2023, Operation Brahma in Myanmar, and a humanitarian mission to Sri Lanka in December 2025.
Speaking about women in the Armed Forces Medical Services, Vice Admiral Sarin said 25 women cadets were commissioned in the current graduating batch.
“We intend to increase the ceiling to 25 per cent by 2030, and we are well on our way to achieving that through our induction programmes,” she said.
She also emphasised that women have held senior leadership positions within the Armed Forces Medical Services for decades, reflecting the organisation’s long-standing commitment to merit-based leadership and equal opportunities.