Bengaluru: The 63rd annual conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine Institute (ISAM), which concluded here on Saturday, was dominated by discussions on innovative efforts to further aerospace medicine initiatives.
A statement said the conference at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) celebrated the multifaceted discipline of Aerospace Medicine and showcased the various collaborative achievements of the Indian Air Force’s medical services.
The event, held from December 5 to 7, was inaugurated by Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar, Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS), in the presence of military and civilian dignitaries from Bengaluru and other parts of the country.
The conference, themed ‘Collaborate for Research,’ portrayed the Aerospace Medicine Society’s determination to explore new horizons with the collective efforts of associated partners while remaining connected to its origins. This theme underscores the importance of collaboration in advancing research and development in aerospace medicine.
In his inaugural address, the VCAS emphasised the criticality of collaboration in achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the defence forces.
He also felicitated the young academic achievers in Aerospace Medicine.
Air Marshal Rajesh Vaidya, Director General of Medical Services (Air), delivered the presidential address, highlighting the Indian Air Force’s medical services’ various collaborative achievements.
The prestigious Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee Memorial Oration, instituted in honour of the first Indian Chief of the Air Staff, was a significant part of the conference. It was delivered by Dr V.R. Lalithambika, Professor of Practice, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras, and Distinguished Scientist and former Director of DHSP ISRO.
Her talk on the topic, ‘The Next Giant Leap: My reflections on India’s Human Space Flight Programme’, introduced the delegates to the space domain, in addition to apprising them about the country’s pioneering steps in human space exploration.
Her talk followed in the footsteps of several eminent personalities, including Dr Raja Ramanna, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Madhavan Nair, Dr Naresh Trehan, Wg Cdr Rakesh Sharma (Retd) and Syed Kirmani, who have delivered this prestigious oration in earlier editions of the conference.
The Air Vice Marshal M.M. Srinagesh Memorial Oration was delivered by Wg Cdr Karthik Kalyanram (Retd) from Rishi Valley Rural Health Centre.
He spoke on ‘Effective Strategies for low-resource settings: Insights gained from my IAF journey’, portraying an innovative and sympathetic application of his IAF experience to provide health care to the needy rural population.
Other high points included ‘The Jemi Harmusji Framji Manekshaw Panel’ featuring guest lectures by notable experts including Dr S.L. Vaya, Project Head at Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA), Rashtrya Raksha University, and Dr Hanumantray Baluragi, Director, Directorate of Human Space Programme (DHSP), ISRO.
Scientific deliberations on a variety of topics, such as Aviation Medicine, Space Physiology and Medicine and High-Altitude Physiology, formed part of the conference, offering valuable insights into operational Aerospace Medicine.
–IANS
