This special cover and postmark was issued by the Army Postal
Service (APS) to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Directorate
General Armed Forces Medical Services.
The Indian Army Medical Corps is
a specialist corps in the Indian Army which provides medical services to all
Armed Forces personnel.
Very little is known of the medical organisations that existed in the Indian armies in ancient times. However, Kautilya’s Arthashastra shows that during battles, physicians with surgical instruments (Sastra, medicines and drugs in their hands besides women with prepared food and beverages) stood behind the fighting men. Similarly, from the Sushruta Samhita, it is seen that a physician fully equipped with medicines would live in a camp not far from the royal pavilion and would treat those wounded by arrows or swords. Physicians in the King’s service adopted certain measures to protect the ruler from secret poisoning. Physicians well versed in the technical sciences and other allied branches of study was held in high esteem by all.
The Army Medical Corps came into existence as a homogeneous corps
of officers and men on the pattern of the Royal Army Medical Corps on 3 Apr 1943 by the amalgamation of the Indian Medical
Service, the Indian Medical Department and the Indian Hospital & Nursing
Corps. The Corps was formed as a wartime necessity for attracting suitably
qualified men for service in a rapidly expanding army.
The IAMC was re-designated as Army Medical Corps with effect from
26 January 1950.
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