"There is need to bolster surgical basics and learn newer techniques for care of battle casualties to decrease overall morbidity and mortality of our soldiers," Joshi said today.
Joshi, while addressing the two-day continuing medical education programme on "Surgery in War", highlighted the importance of quality medical services in armed forces and the role played by Armed Forces Medical Services in it.
Northern Command chief Lt Gen KT Parnaik, who inaugurated the programme at Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur, noted that with country's troops being actively involved in counter insurgency operations, the threat to their exposure to injuries always remained high.
The medical officers and paramedics in forward locations are the first responders to a victim, and in such cases, awareness of combat trauma life support techniques comes handy, he said.
The CME programme is being organised by the Command Hospital (Northern Command) and is being attended by more than 100 military and civil delegates from all over India.