Lt Gen Pankaj P Rao takes charge as Pune AFMC Commandant

Lieutenant General Pankaj P Rao took charge as the Director and Commandant of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune on Monday. An alumnus of AFMC, Pune, the General Officer was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1987. He completed MS in General Surgery from AFMC, Pune in 1995 followed by Fellowship in GI Surgery in 2004 from AIIMS, New Delhi and a fellowship in Liver Transplantation in 2012 from Medanta Hospital, New Delhi.

In a career spanning over 38 years, the General Officer has held prestigious academic, clinical and administrative appointments including that of Surgical Specialist at HQ, IMTRAT Bhutan, Senior Advisor Surgery at Army Hospital, (Research & Referral), New Delhi, and Command Hospital, Pune, Professor & HoD, Department of Surgery, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and Commandant, Military Hospital, Wellington.
As a Major General, he commanded Command Hospital, Central Command, where under his visionary guidance the hospital was awarded the first runners-up award in the Raksha Mantari Trophy.

Prior to his current appointment, the General Officer served as Senior Consultant (Surgery) at the office of the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, New Delhi, where he played a key role in shaping critical healthcare policies.
His contributions were instrumental in the revision of the Combat Casualty Care doctrine, with a particular focus on enhancing training methodologies and refining course content. Additionally, he spearheaded efforts to bolster organ donation within the armed forces.

He has also successfully led multiple research projects under the Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC).
Among his professional milestones, the General Officer holds the distinct honour of successfully leading the liver transplant team during his tenure as Senior Advisor (Surgery) at Army Hospital (R&R), New Delhi.