The Department of Hospital Administration at Army Hospital Research & Referral (AHRR), New Delhi, successfully organised the first-ever Armed Forces National Conference, SHAPE 2025: Sustainable Hospital Architecture, Planning, Infrastructure and Equipment, on July 26-27, 2025. Over 275 experts from the Armed Forces and civil domains including hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, engineers, and architects came together to deliberate on the challenges and future roadmap for creating sustainable, resilient, and patient-friendly hospital infrastructure in India. The pioneering Continuing Medical Education (CME) event was inaugurated by Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Surg Vice Admiral Arti Sarin and Director, AIIMS (New Delhi) Dr M. Srinivas, along with several dignitaries.
The conference comes at a critical juncture as the nation prepares for its centenary of independence under the visionary Viksit Bharat@2047 agenda. SHAPE 2025 brought together stakeholders from military, civil, and private sectors to forge a unified vision for future-ready healthcare facilities. The discussions focused on moving beyond conventional blueprint-based hospital planning towards environmentally conscious, technologically enabled, and contextually aligned health infrastructure. Sustainability in healthcare was acknowledged as a strategic necessity not just for environmental impact but for national preparedness, health equity and patient safety.
SHAPE 2025 outlined a framework for integrating green technologies, such as solar energy, rainwater harvesting, disaster-resilient design, and zero-emission infrastructure. Emphasis was also laid on achieving GRIHA ratings, CFEES certification, and adopting ergonomically designed, healing architecture. The two-day event fostered collaboration across domains and laid the foundation for a comprehensive doctrine on Sustainable Hospital Infrastructure, Architecture, Planning & Equipment Management.
With SHAPE 2025, the Armed Forces have set a benchmark in healthcare transformation. The initiative by the Department of Hospital Administration, AHRR, marks a turning point in reimagining hospitals not just as buildings but as climate-conscious, people-centric ecosystems and is a vital step towards building a resilient and health-secure India in line with the national aspirations of Vision 2047.
