New Delhi: At a time when there is a tense border faceoff with China with deadly potential to escalate, there is considerable disquiet with the officer ranks of the all-important Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) as no promotions have taken place in the last two years resulting in stagnation in the career progression of the officers not to speak of the hierarchical mess it may result in.
“Every year officers are promoted. But not a single promotion for military doctors has taken place in the last two years as the promotion boards have not been held for whatever reason until very recently. The promotions have been held up at the critical levels of lieutenant-colonel to colonel, colonel to brigadier, brigadier to major-general and major-general to lieutenant-general,” a source told ETV Bharat on condition of anonymity.
It is learnt that after a period of two years, some of the promotion boards have taken place only in the last few days in October. But the damage has already been seemingly done as the disruption in time-bound promotion process has resulted in a disturbing the well-laid-out career progression path of the AFMS officers.
While the three services of the armed forces had given the go-ahead for holding the boards, the permission of the defence ministry was not forthcoming. The ongoing COVID 19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown also contributed in part to adversely impacting the situation.
Normally every year about 150 military doctors from the AFMS are promoted.