This year DRDO has sanctioned AFMC Rs. 1.5 crore to carry out the research projects. The AFMC will carry out 70 research projects. Out of these, 20 disciplines will be in medicine and 25 disciplines will be in surgery. The 60 per cent of the research projects will be related to studies to be undertaken for a two-year period. The studies include the effect of trauma on the ear and ultrasound therapy in stress fractures of soldiers among others.

The research committee of the armed forces that met on the 51st Armed Medical Conference included experts from DRDO and AFMC who selected various projects that involved the study of incidence of Hepatitis C infection among blood donors, chromosomal analysis in diagnosis of breasts cancer and others.

On the concluding day of the conference, Director General of the armed forces LT. Gen. B.N. Shahi praised the well coordinated efforts of the health and medical staff of the armed forces due to which the morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases were brought down considerably during the year long `Operation Parakram'.

Presenting a paper on the health problems encountered during this operation Col. Harinder Singh, Senior Advisor, Preventive and Social Medicine, HQ 11 Corps, showed that there was tremendous increase in the incidence of Malaria, viral hepatitis, snakebite, mine blast injuries and stress disorders during this period. This situation demanded an innovative approach to solve emerging problems and the troops were immunized adequately, this brought down the incidence of communicable disease to a great extent and the figures were the lowest as compared to the other corps deployed in the same scenario. Diseases like viral hepatitis which had shown a sudden upswing during induction was controlled, the first aid ensured that no lives were lost amongst the 49 cases of snakebite in the entire corps zone and high suspicion index was maintained to diagnose cases early and provide remedial measures.