|
 Marine Medicine, which includes submarine medicine,
diving medicine, maritime medicine and hyperbaric
medicine, is a specialized medical field of importance
to Navy. This field of medicine focuses on ways and
means of optimizing the health and job performance of
our underwater and maritime fighters. The common goal
is to increase the mission effectiveness by reducing
attrition due to conditions
(psychological, physical and physiological )
adverse, which may cause unfitness.
We need
to develop psychological and physiological principles for
prolonged submerged sailings, safer submarine escape
procedures , deeper dive capabilities; find answers to
habitability, ergonomics and nutrition related problem of
ships/submarines and other health issues of combat Naval
personnel. There are a number of
grey area in the field of submarine, diving, maritime
and hyperbaric medicine involving safety and efficiency of
Naval personnel requiring indepth analysis and problem
solving
. 
So
far we have been relying
on our own resources for problem solving, innovating and
establishing indigenous
guidelines. Attempts are also being made to upgrade
our capabilities from the experiences gained from our
training establishments and operational results and also by
conducting basic research at the Institute of Naval
Medicine. The
western world however has stolen the march on scientific and
technological advances, which will certainly benefit Indian
Navy to quickly achieve these aims.
No expertise exists in the country in these fields
other than with Indian Navy. In fact our offshore
industries, budding commercial and recreational diving
and underwater endeavors and hyperbaric oxygen therapy
units of hospitals, mainly look forward to Navy for
expanding and updating their expertise. Indian Navy
also imparts training in these specialities to
officers and men of friendly foreign nations including
Sri Lankan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. For the purpose of
training, our own specialists,
it is imperative that our staff be updated with
the international bench marks. Also unlike for the other medical specialities, hardly any
reference books and internet sites are available in
these fields. Needless to say that other Navies will
not part easily with the fund of knowledge and
expertise gained by them in any media since such
classified information may compromise their
operations. Whenever opportunities arise we should
expose select personnel
to these specialities for inbibing
nuances of these fields, personnel who can then
disseminate their
updated knowledge to our staff.
|
