The 60 Para Field Hospital of the Army Medical Corps, deployed for earthquake relief operations in Venezuela, has earned India recognition for being ready to respond "anytime, anywhere, globally", Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Vice Admiral Arti Sarin said on Friday. In a gesture of solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, India launched 'Operation Amistad', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission, in response to the devastating earthquake that has caused extensive loss of life, injuries and widespread destruction.
The team flew for several hours, established its hospital at a pre-designated site identified by the host government, and started providing treatment, including first aid and surgeries.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Passing Out Parade of medical cadets of the Armed Forces Medical College, she said the airborne field hospital was mobilised within hours of the earthquake and began providing medical assistance immediately after reaching the affected area.
"They took off as fast as they could when the tragedy happened. We, in the Army Medical Corps, are always prepared 24/7/365. So, it was a very quick response," she said.
"The population was extremely grateful, as you could see on social media. There were several social media posts on that. They did a lot of initial first aid, surgeries," she said.
Vice Admiral Sarin said the 60 Para Field Hospital has a distinguished history of humanitarian assistance missions dating back to its deployment in Korea in the 1950s.
"This particular unit is actually known for it, right from the 50s when they were deployed in Korea. They have excelled themselves at every mission that they have gone for, and have earned the nation a very, very good name," she said.
She said the unit has been deployed in several major international relief operations in recent years, including 'Operation Dost' in Turkey following the 2023 earthquake, 'Operation Brahma' in Myanmar, a humanitarian mission to Sri Lanka in December 2025, and the ongoing 'Operation Amistad' in Venezuela.
Sarin said the hospital is designed to respond to both national and international disasters and can be deployed either in full or in modular components depending on operational requirements.
"They always respond to any national as well as international (emergency). That's why I said 'anytime, anywhere'. We don't deploy the whole place. We can deploy parts of them also," she said.
Emphasising the Armed Forces Medical Services' integrated functioning, she said its doctors, nursing officers and soldiers undergo common training that enables them to work seamlessly across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
She said personnel are routinely posted across the three services.
