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'Navy chief's health nothing to worry'

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Speculations over Navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar's health are unwarranted as armed forces have a clearly laid down chain of command to meet any possible eventuality, senior serving and retired officers said.

The Navy chief underwent a preventive heart surgery at New Delhi's Escorts Hearts Institute in mid-January and was unable to attend the Republic Day parade.

Several national dailies recently carried speculative stories about the possible fallout of Admiral Kumar's heart problems.

"It's ok if a serving chief spends three or four days in a nursing home, provided there is no war. If there is a war and his attention is needed regularly then it's altogether different situation. But then there are norms laid down to meet all such eventualities," said former Navy chief Admiral R H Tahiliani.

He said the speculations about Admiral Sushil Kumar's health are unwanted, adding that "the serving chief is not ploughing fields."

Admiral Tahiliani, who enjoyed the highest medical categorization all through his service, said: "If one qualifies medically under the annual medical examination, then there is no problem. There is no special medical test before you become the chief."

He said the chain of command in armed forces is "well defined", and if the chief has to keep away from office for a prolonged period "then there are laid out procedures for the next officer to take charge."

In Navy currently the next senior most officer is the chief of Western Command in Mumbai, Vice Admiral Madhavendra Singh.

Rear Admiral (retd) K Raja Menon said history is littered with stories of great commanders with physical handicaps and medical problems. He gave the example of Mosche Dayan of Israel. "I don't think that the medical status of the chief is anything to be unduly worried about."

The defence forces are "trained to fight, and it is possible that anybody from a junior officer to the chief could die. It would not hamper the operations, and the service," he said.

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