Lieutenant General Sadhana Saxena Nair assumed charge as Director General, Medical Services (Army) on August 01, 2024, becoming the first woman to be appointed to this prestigious post. Earlier, she was the first woman to hold the post of Director General, Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on promotion to the rank of Air Marshal.
Lt Gen Nair graduated from Pune-based Armed Forces Medical College with a distinguished academic record and was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1985. She holds a postgraduate degree in family medicine and a diploma in maternal and child health and health care management and completed a two-year training programme in medical informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi. She was trained in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and in military medical ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces at Spiez. She is also the first woman Chief Medical Officer of the Western Air Command and Training Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Lt Gen Nair was nominated as an expert member of the Dr Kasturirangan Committee to draft the medical education component of the National Education Policy. For his commendable service, he has been awarded the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of Air Staff Commendation as well as the Vishisht Seva Medal by the President.