New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow, the country’s first dedicated academic and operational facility in the field. He noted that military medicine studies the physical and mental stress faced by soldiers in combat situations and would enhance preparedness for evolving challenges. It will offer structured education and training in military and operational medicine, facilitate postgraduate programmes in areas such as combat medicine, combat surgery and trauma care, and promote indigenous research aligned with operational requirements. Students will now be able to pursue super-specialisation in military medicine. The department will focus on areas including military trauma, combat psychiatry, environmental and operational medicine, medical logistics, CBRNe response, emergency and critical care, disaster medicine and research.