https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=INHS_AsviniINHS Asvini - Revision history2026-07-30T23:52:17ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=INHS_Asvini&diff=503446&oldid=prevScarlettNicholso at 08:09, 22 April 20262026-04-22T08:09:24Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian naval hospital}}<br />
{{Infobox Military Unit<br />
| unit_name = Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asvini<br />
| image = File:INHS_Asvini.png<br />
| caption = Aerial view of INHS Asvini<br />
| start_date = 18 September 1951<br />
| country = {{flag|India}}<br />
| branch = {{navy|India}}<br />
| type = [[Hospital]]<br />
| role = Medical, combat support<br />
| command_structure = [[Western Naval Command]]<br/>[[Armed Forces Medical Services]]<br />
| size = <br />
| current_commander = [[Rear admiral (India)|Surgeon Rear Admiral]] Manish Honwad<br />
| garrison = <br />
| nickname = INHS Asvini<br />
| patron = <br />
| motto = ''Caring and Curing''<br />
| colors = <br />
| march = <br />
| mascot = <br />
| battles = <br />
| anniversaries = <br />
}}<br />
The '''INHS Asvini''' is a hospital of the [[Indian Navy]] in [[Mumbai]]. With 825 beds, the [[tertiary care]] institution is the oldest and largest hospital of the Indian Navy. Established as the King's Seamen Hospital in 1756, it was christened INHS Asvini in 1951 and accorded the status of a [[Command Hospital]] in 1977.<br />
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==History==<br />
In 1756, the King’s Seamen Hospital started functioning in the naval barracks for in-patients in [[Colaba]]. The hospital was converted into a [[convalescent home]] in 1766. In 1860, the Hawa Mahal was built as the main ward of the hospital. It was transferred to the Indian Army when Her Majesty's Indian Navy was transitioned into the Bombay Marine. Under the Army, the ''Military Hospital, Colaba'' was expanded over the next century, including the addition of a family hospital in 1929.<ref name="MHS article">{{cite web |title=INHS Asvini: The Cutting Edge of Medical Sciences {{!}} Maritime History Society (MHS India) |url=https://mhsindia.org/all/inhs-asvini-the-cutting-edge-of-medical-sciences/210130/ |website=mhsindia.org |access-date=8 September 2025}}</ref><br />
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On 18 September 1951, the [[Indian Army]] handed the hospital over to the [[Indian Navy]] and the establishment was commissioned as INHS Asvini. In July 1954, the sick berth school was established, followed by the Naval Dental Centre in 1961. The School of Nursing was set up in 1963. The sick berth school was renamed School of Medical Assistants (SOMA) in 1967. {{sfn|Singh|2018}} By 1966, Asvini was a 600-bedded hospital and further expanded to become an 825-bedded hospital in January 1977 when it was classified as a [[Command Hospital]].<ref name="IN website">{{cite web |title=INHS Asvini {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/inhs-asvini |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405191412/https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/inhs-asvini |access-date=8 September 2025 |archive-date=5 April 2023 }}</ref><br />
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The Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) was established in 1964 as the Naval Medical Research and Training Centre (NMRTC) and renamed INM in 1974. It is the nodal agency to coordinate all the research projects of the Navy in the Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC) and the [[Defence Research and Development Organisation]] (DRDO). INM was placed under Asvini in 2004.{{sfn|Singh|2018}}<br />
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==Crest==<br />
The hospital has been named after the mythological twin brothers, the [[Ashvini Kumara]]s, Celestial Physicians of the gods. The crest of INHS Asvini has the two Asvini brothers riding in their traditional horse cart holding medicine pots in their hands.{{sfn|Doraibabu|Godbole|2023}}<ref>{{cite web |title=INHS Asvini |url=https://nhims.bisag-n.gov.in/getHospitalDetails?hospitalId=22 |website=nhims.bisag-n.gov.in |access-date=10 September 2025}}</ref><br />
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==Today==<br />
Today, ''Asvini'' is equipped with latest state-of-the-art medical facilities to provide holistic and comprehensive secondary and tertiary care to serving personnel, veterans and their families. It also acts as a referral centre to peripheral hospitals located in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat area. As a major military hospital, it renders the facilities of a super-speciality hospital with care-units in diverse fields of need.<ref>{{cite web |title=INHS Asvini: The Cutting Edge of Medical Sciences {{!}} Maritime History Society (MHS India) |url=https://mhsindia.org/all/inhs-asvini-the-cutting-edge-of-medical-sciences/210130/ |website=mhsindia.org |access-date=10 September 2025}}</ref> ''Asvini'' has been awarded the Defence Minister’s trophy for the Best Command Hospital in 2005, 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=INHS ASVINI Mumbai adjudged best AFMS Hospital |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/centre/inhs-asvini-mumbai-adjudged-best-afms-hospital/articleshow/57430343.cms |website=The Times of India |access-date=10 September 2025 |date=2 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=INHS Asvini among top defence hospitals |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/news/inhs-asvini-among-top-defence-hospitals/article8260256.ece |website=The Hindu |access-date=10 September 2025 |language=en-IN |date=19 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mumbai's INHS Asvini is Best Command Hospital of armed forces |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/mumbai-s-inhs-asvini-is-best-command-hospital-of-armed-forces-117030201136_1.html |website=business-standard.com |access-date=10 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Statesman News |title=INHS Asvini, Command Hospital Chandimandir bag trophy for best hospital in AFMS 2024 |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/inhs-asvini-command-hospital-chandimandir-bag-trophy-for-best-hospital-in-afms-2024-1503415745.html |website=The Statesman |access-date=10 September 2025 |language=en |date=3 April 2025}}</ref><br />
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==Organisation==<br />
The hospital is headed by the Commanding Officer, a [[two-star rank|two-star]] officer of the rank of [[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]]. On 31 January 2021, in a rare event of a change of command between two women flag officers, she took over from Surgeon Rear Admiral [[Sheila S. Mathai]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin takes over command Of INHS Asvini |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1693806 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[List of Armed Forces Hospitals In India]]<br />
* [[Armed Forces Medical Services]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==Bibliography==<br />
*{{citation|first1=M|last1=Doraibabu|first2 = Amrut Dilip| last2 = Godbole|title=A Decade of Transformation: The Indian Navy 2011-2021 |year=2023|isbn=978-9394407909|publisher= HarperCollins Publishers India}}<br />
*{{citation|first1=Anup|last1=Singh|title=Blue Waters Ahoy!: The Indian Navy 2001-2010 |year=2018|isbn=978-9353025526|publisher= HarperCollins Publishers India}}<br />
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{{Indian Navy}}<br />
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{{coord|18.9007|72.8160|type:landmark_region:IN|display=title}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Inhs Asvini}}<br />
[[Category:Indian organisations established in 1951]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Navy bases|Asvini]]<br />
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Mumbai]]<br />
[[Category:Military installations established in 1951]]<br />
[[Category:Military hospitals in India]]<br />
[[Category:Military medical installations]]</div>ScarlettNicholso