NEW DELHI: Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair has become the first woman to be appointed as the Director General Medical Services (Army). She has other firsts to her name: she was the first woman to hold the post of DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on promotion to the rank of Air Marshal.
Nair began her journey in the forces in December 1985 after graduating from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, with a distinguished academic record and was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps.
Her other academic and professional qualifications include a postgraduate degree in family medicine and diplomas in maternal & child health and healthcare management. She has undergone a two-year training in medical informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi.
She was trained in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare with the Israeli defence forces and in military medical ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez. She is also the first woman Principal Medical Officer of Western Air Command, and Training Command, Indian Air Force.
Military doctors, once inducted into the Army Medical Corps, can be seconded to any service. They wear the rank and uniform of the service they are with.
Lt Gen Nair was nominated as an expert member of Dr Kasturirangan Committee for drafting a part of the medical education component of the National Education Policy. For her meritorious service, she has been awarded the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations as well as Vishisht Seva Medal by the President.