New Delhi: The prestigious Raksha Mantri Trophy for the Best and Second Best Command Hospitals of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year 2022 was presented in a ceremony held in New Delhi today. Lt Gen Daljit Singh, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and Senior Colonel Comdt, Army Medical Corps, conferred the awards to the Command Hospital (Southern Command), Pune, and the Command Hospital (Central Command), Lucknow, respectively.
The Director General Armed Forces Medical Services commended the outstanding performance of the two hospitals and lauded the commendable services rendered by the AFMS. He highlighted the range of services provided by the AFMS, including combat medical support to troops deployed in operational roles and state-of-the-art healthcare services at mid-zonal, zonal, and tertiary care hospitals.
Emphasizing the preparedness of the AFMS to meet all challenges, Lt Gen Daljit Singh reiterated the commitment of the AFMS to strive for professional excellence at all times, whether during operations, peacetime, or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. He also announced that starting from 2023, the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences (AICTS), Pune, and Base Hospital Delhi Cantt will participate in the competition.
The award ceremony was attended by several high-ranking officials, including the Director Generals of Medical Services, Deputy Chief Integrated Defence Staff (Medical), Director General (Organisation & Personnel) AFMS, Director General Health Services (AF), Senior Consultants in Medicine and Surgery, Major General Medical, Headquarters Delhi Area, and Senior Consultant in Surgery.
Established in 1989, the Raksha Mantri Trophy aims to recognize excellence in healthcare services provided by Armed Forces Hospitals and foster healthy competition among them. The selection committee, headed by an AFMS officer of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent, recommends hospitals for the award based on comprehensive assessments of objective performance indicators during on-site visits.