The Directorate General of Health Services (Dte.GHS) is an attached organisation of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It is the apex technical advisory and regulatory body of healthcare. It functions as a repository of technical knowledge regarding public health, medical education and healthcare, and provides technical guidance to the ministry in these domains. Dte.GHS is headed by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), a Secretary level (Apex Grade) officer of the Central Health Service (CHS). Sunita Sharma is the current Director General of Health Services.
The Dte.GHS manages the Central Government Hospitals and performs its role in public health through various subordinate organisations.
Prior to independence, the officers of the Indian Medical Service (IMS) used to hold the post of Director General, Indian Medical Service. The Directorate General of Health Services (Dte.GHS) was established in 15 August 1947 and the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) replaced the Director General, Indian Medical Service and the Public Health Commissioner. The first DGHS was Jivraj Narayan Mehta and he also functioned as the Health Secretary to the Government of India. The Contributory Health Service Scheme (the predecessor of Central Government Health Scheme) for the healthcare of Central Government Employees was under the administrative control of Dte.GHS.
The DteGHS has the administrative control of the Central Government hospitals and medical colleges:
(Airport Health Organisation, Port Health Organisation, Land Port Health Organisation)