Injuries were expected during wars, but neither doctors nor individuals with medical know-how were an integral part of the armed forces. These were either volunteers, or could be requisitioned for a short period of time. Such medics were mostly carrying out their profession in the civilian population. The earliest account of dedicated surgeons or physicians for a fixed set of individuals (except for the personal physicians to the ruler) , comes from the accounts of prolonged voyages, such as those by Christopher Columbus or Vasco da Gama.
Surgeons and Physicians on Columbus’s voyages
Long exploration voyages of the 15th century, were the first ones to employ a medical person, for a limited population. There were at least two medics were on the Columbus’s first voyage in 1492 (Maestre Bernal – a physician and Marco a surgeon). His second Voyage next year had a royal physician, by the name Diego Álvarez Chanca on board. This could well be the beginning of employing doctors for a specific purpose, except for the Kings and Queens themselves.
A few years later Vasco da Gama embarked on his voyage. This 1498 voyage to India involved four ships. While there is a record of health issues on the ship, there is no mention of a dedicated ship surgeon on the first voyage in 1497-98. However subsequent voyages (or Armadas) has a barber surgeon listed in the entourage. Armadas also had armed forces on board, and would often challenge, loot and kill other ships they encountered in the seas.
Surgeons aboard the naval and Pirate ships
As explorations increased in volume, there was scope for more and more merchandise to be looted in the high seas. Pirates started having dedicated surgeons on board their ships, along with a big box of medical supplies (the medical chest). In turn, Naval ships deployed to protect their merchandise, also started having a small medical team (usually a surgeon and his apprentice) on board.
For instance, British Navy had a Naval surgeon aboard its ships, since 1629. One famous Naval surgeon was James Lind, who in 1747 documented cure for scurvy. Thus Naval Surgeons helped battle diseases during the voyage, heal injuries inflicted during conflict, and fight diseases when the team reached new lands. Initially these ship surgeons were self proclaimed, and later they were vetted by the professional associations. Yet, all these instances were limited time contracts, and surgeons or physicians were not in regular service of either the naval or pirate armies.
East India company employs medical personnel
In this chain of events, it was no surprise that East India Company (EIC), that had already embarked on sea-voyages to India, employed a surgeon – John Woodall on its rolls. It was in 1612, when Woodall was appointed to serve as Surgeon General to the East India Company. He was also responsible for equipping all ships with medical supplies, and also selecting medics for voyages. To add context, the same year EIC had defeated Portuguese in Surat, and in 1614 its emissary Thomas Roe met Mughal King Jahangir.
At this time, EIC was engaged in establishing its small trading outposts in Western India. In 1640 they built a fort St Georges, at Madras (current Chennai). In 1664, Cogan house in St Georges became the first hospital in India, with Phillip Bradford appointed as its first Surgeon. He was followed by other fort surgeons, appointed by the company.
East India Company army – a pioneer in medical service units
Over next 100 years, EIC had grown in size, as well as ambition. By 1750s Company had its own armies, in each of the three presidencies of Bombay, Bengal and Madras. In 1757 it won the battle of Plassey, and in 1764 the battle of Buxar. As the company secured a right gather tax and customs duties in Bengal, it also established in 1764 Bengal Medical Service, a regular army medical Unit. Soon in 1767 and 1779 it had Madras and Bombay Medical Service Units in its army. India army traces history of its medical corps from this date. In the year 2024, Army medical corps celebrated 260 years since its foundation.
From Company to British Indian Army
At its peak, the EIC had a 2,50,000 strong standing army in India.At times, British Army officers and soldiers worked in the company’s armed forces, and so medical services had their hands full. The medical service units not only took care of the soldiers, but also of the European families.
In 1858, the East India company presidency armies became British Indian Army. While Medical Service comprised of British physicians and Surgeons, they were assisted by the Indian Medical Department (IMD). IMD consisted of compounders and dressers. other healthcare workers (such as ward coolies, barbers, shop coolies, cooks, bhistis and sweepers) designated as the Army Hospital Native Corps (AHNC) in 1881. Their designations were combined together were now called “Hospital Attendants”.In April 1896 the three Presidency medical services (Calcutta, Madras and Bombay) were amalgamated to form Indian Medical Service (or IMS) under a Surgeon General to the Government of India.
Dedicated Medical Unit in other armies came later
Other dedicated military medical units (as part of the uniformed force) that were formed in the 18th century, include those in Spain (1771) and in France (1789).
Medical corps in Britain and other British colonies were created later. For instance, the British created its own Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in 1898, Royal Australian Medical corps in 1902-03, and Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1904. While US Army had its first Surgeon-General in the year 1818, it officially created an army medical corps in the year 1908.
Mergers and Amalgamations
In 1901, British Indian Army raised Army bearer corps or ABC (dooly-bearers or Kahars) as palanquin bearers or transporters. Later on 1st June 1920, the ANHC and ABC were merged into Indian Hospital Corps (IHC). IHC had its headquarter at Pune.
Two decades later, on 3 April 1943, IMS and IHC were amalgamated to form Indian Army Medical Corps (IAMC). Headquarter of IHC (Pune) had now became the headquarter of the entire IAMC. On first Republic day in the year 1950, the corps dropped the word Indian and got its current name – Army Medical Corps (or AMC).
Armed forces Medical Services
After independence a committee formed under Dr BC Roy suggested that the medical services of Army, Navy and Air-force should be integrated. This integration was reached in 1948, and by next year this wing was headed by a Director General of Armed forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
Today the entire medical establishment under DGAFMS consists of Army Medical Corps (AMC) including AMC (NT), Army Dental Corps (AD Corps) and Military Nursing Service (MNS).
The army medical services are offered through Medical Inspection (MI) rooms, Station Health Organizations, about 133 Military Hospitals and close to 100 Field Hospitals. In addition, every command headquarter has a Command hospital. The apex health facility is Army Hospital (Research and Referral), that is located at New Delhi.
Dedicated Medical training facilities
All personnel of Army Medical Corps are trained at AMC Center and College, Lucknow before their induction. This includes medical graduates who pass out of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) at Pune. While AMC Center has an older legacy from the Bengal Presidency, AFMC is more recent.
An artifical limb facility, set up in the year 1944 was upgraded to AFMC in the year 1948. It was initially established for postgraduate courses, and the graduate wing (for MBBS course) was started on 04 Aug 1962. While, AMC got its presidential colours in the year 1966, AFMC was bestowed this honor recently in the year 2023.
Nursing profession is an offshoot of warfare
Florence nightingale laid foundations of modern nursing. After her training at Kaiserswerth, she was superintendent of Institute of sick gentlewomen in England. In 1854, during Crimean war, British army requested some nurses to be posted to take care of the injured and sick solders. Nuns from France and Russia were already taking care of their battered armies. British soldiers fared worse as they had no such system.
Florence nightingale and 38 others were dispatched to the war-zone. Their efforts made a huge difference in delivery of care. They not only made military hospital more clean, and ventilated but also developed a system of care. Florence also knew how to present her findings. She used graphical representation of data (learned from her father) to show a reduction in mortality from 44% to 7%. Thus entire foundation of nursing comes from the experiences in military.
Peace keeping and Military Medics
AMC has earned many gallantry awards, and its personnel have also served in many UN peace keeping missions.
Military Ambulances
A unique medical unit of AMC, that also has a philately presence is the 60 Parachute Field Ambulance. Formed during the second world war, the unit supports the Indian Parachute Brigade, which is often the first line army in difficult terrains.
Military Ambulances have also evolved over the years. In fact Ambulance services were first initiated for the war wounded. This concept then percolated to the civilian use.
Taking care of the War veterans
An important task of the Army Medical Services, is to take care of its war veterans. Many armed personnel get injured and disabled in wars, and their rehabilitation into the society is an important task.
Army Medics for the Civilian populations
National Armies are often requisitioned in the times of disaster and Natural calamities. In such situations, Army medical personnel play an important role. Postage stamps below from Congo, Papua New Guinea, and Laos show these roles.
This blog illustrates various postage stamps on Medical Personnel in the armed forces. They have various roles, in taking care of the armies in war as well as in peace. Army Medical Personnel also provide a range of health services to the family members as well as ex-servicemen. In times of need, they are engaged in relief activities within a country, and in other conflict zones as part of UN peacekeepers. Military success in organization of health service cadre, percolated to the general population, and this especially true for the evolution of entire nursing profession.
Hugely informative blog , depicting a long history of Armed forces medical corps in an interesting manner.