Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja appointed Director General Armed Forces Medical Services

New Delhi: In a major leadership appointment, the Central Government has named Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, SM, VSM & Bar, as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). The appointment marks the culmination of an illustrious career spanning nearly four decades in military medicine, healthcare leadership and defence services.

According to a press release issued by the Defence Ministry, he will assume the appointment upon the retirement of the incumbent DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin on August 31, 2026, reports UNI.

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Medical Dialogues had previously reported that in a significant development, Lieutenant General Sandeep Thareja has been appointed as the Director General Medical Services (Air) on secondment to the Air Force, holding the rank of Air Marshal.

An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Air Marshal Thareja was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on December 30, 1986. He assumed charge as Director General Medical Services (Air) on February 10, 2025, bringing extensive experience in clinical medicine, hospital administration and strategic healthcare management.

A distinguished physician and super-specialist in gastroenterology, he completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine from the University of Delhi in 1997 before earning a Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Gastroenterology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in 2005. He later completed an M.Phil. in Defence Strategic Studies from the National Defence College (NDC) in 2018.

During the early phase of his career, Air Marshal Thareja served for four years as a Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) with 9 Rajput, providing medical support to troops deployed in High Altitude Areas (HAA) and Counter-Insurgency (CI) operations across three operational commands.

As Director General Medical Services (Air), Air Marshal Thareja has steered several transformational initiatives to enhance operational medical preparedness. His efforts strengthened the AFMS' medical preparedness for India's Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Mission and led the operationalisation of the BHISHM Cube, significantly enhancing rapid medical response capabilities for operational and humanitarian missions.

He later served as a medical specialist at Military Hospital, Jodhpur, participated in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, and worked at Military Hospital, Ranikhet, before specialising in gastroenterology.

Beyond clinical practice, Air Marshal Thareja has held several important command and administrative appointments. He commanded Military Hospital Pathankot, later served as Commandant of Command Hospital Lucknow, and subsequently led the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, as its Director and Commandant. Under his leadership, AFMC continued to strengthen its reputation as one of India’s foremost institutions for military medical education, research and healthcare training, reports SSB Crack.

Air Marshal Thareja's contributions to military healthcare have earned him several prestigious honours. He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2011, the Sena Medal (SM) in 2022, and a Bar to the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024 in recognition of his distinguished service, professional excellence and leadership.

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