Vice-Admiral Arti Sarin has made history as the first woman naval officer to assume the role of director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). Her top priority is to foster “jointness” among the nation’s tri-services – the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy.

Sharing her vision with The Statesman after taking charge as the 46th DGAFMS, Sarin emphasised the importance of leveraging the collective expertise of her junior officers to enhance the HR system within medical care. “I want to utlise the collective genius of my juniors to move forward and have a robust HR system. In medical care what you need is efficiency. And for efficiency, HR and digitalisation come in handy. I want both,” she explained.

As a leader, Sarin believes in evolving perspectives to better serve her team. “As a leader one needs to keep changing their perspective. You have to keep ahead and look down at your team to see what is best for them. You have to learn to change with time and be very perceptive. I intend to do the same with myself and tend to take feedback from people, not to completely change or transform a system. My predecessors have already set everything in place, I intend to take that forward,” she added.

Reflecting on her 38-year career, Sarin recalled a significant moment during her deployment with the Forward Surgical Centre team in Drugmulla, Kupwara, in 1999, amidst heightened terrorism. “We were there to provide medical care to civilians, especially women, in areas where civil doctors were absent. The experience of engaging with diverse communities in a combat zone was truly memorable,” she recounted.

A champion of women’s empowerment, Sarin credits her inspiration to her mother, an educationist dedicated to promoting the education of the girlchild, and her mother-in-law, Sarojini Naidu, who has been her steadfast supporter. “My mother worked a lot for the education of girls in the villages around Ludhiana, Punjab. Further, she completed her PhD at the age of 54 years. My mother-in-law remained a strong pillar of support throughout my journey. Their influence has been vital in my journey,” she concluded.