Mathai was born into an Armed Forces family. Her father was a surgeon in the Army Medical Corps. She attended the Loreto Schools, Kolkata. She lost her parents early and joined the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune (AFMC), her father's alma mater. At AFMC, she completed her MBBS and was awarded the Kalinga Trophy for the best outgoing student.[2]
Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila S. Mathai (left) with the DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Rajat Datta.
Mathai has set up the paediatric departments at INHS Dhanvantari in Port Blair and at the INHS Jeevanti in Goa. She has also set up the neonatal intensive care units in service and cantonment hospitals in Mumbai and Pune. As a Surgeon Commodore, she served as the Professor and Head of Department of Paediatrics at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. She subsequently served as the Director & Dean of the Institute of Naval Medicine in Mumbai, an institute headed by her husband in the past.[3][4]
Flag rankedit
Surg RAdm Mathai receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at INHS Asvini.
Mathai was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed Command Medical Officer, Eastern Naval Command. She was subsequently appointed Commanding Officer of the naval hospital INHS Asvini in Mumbai. She was in command of the naval hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On 31 January 2021, she relinquished command of Asvini, handing over to Rear Admiral Arti Sarin, in a rare event of a change of command between two women flag officers. On 1 February, she took over as the Command Medical Officer of the Western Naval Command.[5]
Mathai is married to a retired officer of the Indian Navy, Surgeon Commodore K. I. Mathai, VSM, a neurosurgeon who served in the navy for 35 years. The couple have a daughter.[2]
^"INSTITUTE OF NAVAL MEDICINE, INHS ASVINI" (PDF). indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
^ ab"Indian Navy gets its first direct lady Vice Admiral | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
^"Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin takes over command Of INHS Asvini". pib.gov.in.
January 01, 1970
sheila, mathai, surgeon, vice, admiral, sheila, samanta, mathai, former, flag, officer, indian, navy, last, served, director, general, organisation, personnel, armed, forces, medical, services, fourth, woman, indian, armed, forces, promoted, three, star, rank,. Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila Samanta Mathai NM VSM is a former flag officer in the Indian Navy She last served as the Director General Organisation amp Personnel of the Armed Forces Medical Services She is the fourth woman in the Indian Armed Forces to be promoted to a three star rank after Surgeon Vice Admiral Punita Arora Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay and Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar She is currently the head of the department of neonatology in Kasturba Medical College Manipal 1 Surgeon Vice AdmiralSheila S MathaiNM VSMAllegiance IndiaService wbr branch Indian NavyYears of service1985 2022RankVice AdmiralCommands heldINHS AsviniInstitute of Naval MedicineAwardsNao Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Military career 2 1 Flag rank 3 Personal life 4 Awards and decorations 5 See also 6 ReferencesEarly life and education editMathai was born into an Armed Forces family Her father was a surgeon in the Army Medical Corps She attended the Loreto Schools Kolkata She lost her parents early and joined the Armed Forces Medical College Pune AFMC her father s alma mater At AFMC she completed her MBBS and was awarded the Kalinga Trophy for the best outgoing student 2 Military career editMathai was commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1985 She subsequently did her post graduation earning the Doctor of Medicine degree in Pediatrics from the University of Mumbai She then earned a DM degree in Neonatology also from the University of Mumbai She was awarded a Commonwealth Visiting Fellowship to the UK in Neonatology in 2003 and was conferred a Fellowship of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research FAIMER in 2014 nbsp Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila S Mathai left with the DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Rajat Datta Mathai has set up the paediatric departments at INHS Dhanvantari in Port Blair and at the INHS Jeevanti in Goa She has also set up the neonatal intensive care units in service and cantonment hospitals in Mumbai and Pune As a Surgeon Commodore she served as the Professor and Head of Department of Paediatrics at the Armed Forces Medical College Pune She subsequently served as the Director amp Dean of the Institute of Naval Medicine in Mumbai an institute headed by her husband in the past 3 4 Flag rank edit nbsp Surg RAdm Mathai receives the first dose of the COVID 19 vaccine at INHS Asvini Mathai was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed Command Medical Officer Eastern Naval Command She was subsequently appointed Commanding Officer of the naval hospital INHS Asvini in Mumbai She was in command of the naval hospital during the COVID 19 pandemic 2 On 31 January 2021 she relinquished command of Asvini handing over to Rear Admiral Arti Sarin in a rare event of a change of command between two women flag officers On 1 February she took over as the Command Medical Officer of the Western Naval Command 5 On 26 August 2021 she was promoted to the rank of Surgeon Vice Admiral only the fourth woman to be promoted to three star rank in the Indian Armed Forces She assumed the post of Director General Organisation and Personnel of the Armed Forces Medical Services under the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services DGAFMS 4 Personal life editMathai is married to a retired officer of the Indian Navy Surgeon Commodore K I Mathai VSM a neurosurgeon who served in the navy for 35 years The couple have a daughter 2 Awards and decorations editMathai has been awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff Commendation Card in 1993 the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2012 and the Nao Sena Medal in 2021 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Nao Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Sainya Seva Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service MedalSee also editWomen in the Indian Armed Forces Punita Arora Padma Bandopadhyay Madhuri Kanitkar Rajshree Ramasethu Arti SarinReferences edit Sheila Samanta Mathai Department of Neonatal Care KMC Manipal Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal Retrieved 22 August 2023 a b c DefendersOfOurFreedom Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila Samanta Mathai NM VSM femina in INSTITUTE OF NAVAL MEDICINE INHS ASVINI PDF indiannavy nic in Retrieved 9 May 2022 a b Indian Navy gets its first direct lady Vice Admiral Indian Navy www indiannavy nic in Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin takes over command Of INHS Asvini pib gov in Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sheila S Mathai amp oldid 1179181366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
