The Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Raksha Mantri’s Trophy and citation for the Best Service Hospital in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year 2017 to Command Hospital (Western Command), Chandimandir, here today.Commandant of Command Hospital (Western Command), Chandimandir Major General RashmiDatta received the awards from the Raksha Mantri on behalf of the hospital. The Command Hospital (Southern Command), Pune was adjudged the Second Best Command Hospital. The Commandant of the Hospital Major General A Chakravarty received a trophy and a citation from the Raksha Mantri.Speaking on the occasion, the Raksha Mantri Smt Sitharaman praised the yeoman service being rendered by the AFMS over the years both in war and peace. She complimented all members of both the award winning hospitals, and the entire AFMS for their excellent work in providing of contemporary and comprehensive healthcare.
Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Lt Gen Bipin Puri, highlighted the modernisation programme of the Medical Services and reassured that the AFMS is fully prepared to meet all challenges in operations, peace time and disaster relief/ humanitarian aid.The Raksha Mantri's Trophy was instituted in 1989 to create a healthy competition among the Command Hospitals of the Army and its equivalent hospitals in the Navy and Air Force. The Best and Second Best hospital are adjudged on the basis of a number of objective criteria by a Committee headed by Director General (Org &Pers) with Joint Secretary (Navy), Ministry of Defence being a member of the Committee.The function was attended by the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba, Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare Smt SanjeevaneeKutty, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SB Deo and other senior service and civilian officials.