Transfer of Delhi base hospital's commandant part of larger HR management plan: Indian Army

The transfer of Major General Vasu Vardhan, commandant of the base hospital in Delhi, to the Indian Army's research and referral hospital earlier this week was part of a larger human resources management plan within the Armed Forces Medical Services, an official statement said on Thursday.

Vardhan has been handling a very high-pressure appointment, personally treating COVID patients -- being a pulmonologist -- apart from overseeing the administration of the base hospital for over a year, the Army's statement said.

In addition, the General officer went through a personal bereavement recently. Sidestepping the officer to a different assignment would assist the officer to de-stress and plan his superannuation which is also an important aspect of HR management," it noted.


Vardhan, who is going to retire in August, has been transferred to the research and referral hospital in Delhi as an additional officer.

He had completed his tenure of more than 18 months as commandant of Delhi's base hospital, the statement said.

"The second senior-most officer in the same hospital (Delhi's base hospital), Brigadier Sandeep Thareja, who stands approved for promotion to the rank of Major General is also scheduled to be posted out on promotion in the same timeframe," the statement added.

The Army's base hospital is currently acting as a 650-bed COVID facility for soldiers and veterans of the Indian armed forces.

Major Gen S K Singh, who was posted as the deputy commandant of Army Medical Corps Centre and College in Lucknow, has taken the charge as commandant of base hospital in Delhi on Monday.

India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus infections and hospitals in several states are reeling under shortage of health workers, vaccines, oxygen, drugs and beds.

The country added 3,62,727 new coronavirus infections in a day taking the number of cases to 2,37,03,665, while the death toll rose to 2,58,317 with 4,120 daily fatalities, according to the Union health ministry data updated this morning.

The active cases have increased to 37,10,525 comprising 15.65 per cent of the total infections.