Institute of Aerospace Medicine & Command Hospital, Indian Air Force

INSTITUTE OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE is attached with Command Hospital Air Force (CHAF) which is an 850 bedded multi specialty institution
having all basic specialties as well as super specialties. It has been conducting various
Postgraduate courses since 1976, initially under Bangalore University and presently
affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka. The serving medical
officers are allotted the postgraduate seats centrally controlled by DGAFMS. The unutilized
seats are allotted to candidates from Ex SSC AMC officers, Paramilitary Organization and
Civilians in order of priority as laid down by DGAFMS No F.PC - 8510/DGAFMS/DG-
1D/2273/2001/D (Med) dated 05 Nov 2001.
The beginning of Aviation Medicine in India was as early as 1940 with induction of a mobile
altitude chamber in an ‘Aeromedical unit’ of Royal Air Force at Calcutta. Following Independence of
India in 1947, another ‘Aeromedical Research Unit’ was established at Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) at Bangalore. These two units were merged together to form a new aeromedical
establishment under the Indian Air Force on 29th May 1957, which was known as ‘School of Aviation
Medicine’ (SAM). Ten years later in 1967, the ‘School’ became a first to establish the Department
and facility of ‘Hyperbaric Medicine’ in India.
With increased sophistication in aeromedical
equipment and rapid growth in training, medical evaluation of aircrew, operation and experimental
research, the school grew into a large establishment as an ‘Institute of Aviation Medicine’ in 1968.
In 1982, the Institute was selected to provide aeromedical support to India’s first manned space
flight, wherein the medical training and evaluation of the very first Indian cosmonaut was carried out
at this Institute. This Institute participated in the design and formulation of several novel human
physiological and health related experiments in space. Following recognition by Russian space
agency, in 1985 NASA of US recognized this Institute as a centre for medical evaluation of
astronauts and conduct of life sciences experiments in space. Consequently, the Institute gained
the status of ‘Institute of Aerospace Medicine’. Presently, the Institute has a threefold function of
aeromedical evaluation of aircrew, training medical and non-medical personnel in Aerospace
Medicine, and conducting research in Aerospace Medicine. This is the only centre in Asia region to
offer postgraduate training in Aerospace Medicine to military and civilian medical doctors. Since itsinception, the Institute is biennially bringing out the scientific research journal in aerospace
medicine. It has been accredited in Grade ‘A’ by NAAC. In recognition of its excellence IAM was
awarded the “President’s Colours” in Nov 2005, by the then President His Excellency Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam, which is the highest honour for a defence Unit.