In a ceremony held in New Delhi on March 19, Lt Gen Daljit Singh, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and Senior Colonel Comdt, Army Medical Corps, presented the Raksha Mantri Trophy for the Best and Second Best Command Hospitals of 2022. Command Hospital (Southern Command), Pune, secured the top spot, with Command Hospital (Central Command), Lucknow, being awarded second place.
The DGAFMS commended the exceptional performance of both hospitals, underscoring the crucial role of the Armed Forces Medical Services in providing combat medical support to troops deployed in operational roles to state of the art healthcare services at mid-zonal, zonal and tertiary care hospitals of the AFMS.
He reiterated AFMS’s unwavering commitment to meeting diverse challenges, including operational assistance, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
He further announced that starting in 2023, the competition will expand to include participation from the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences (AICTS), Pune, and Base Hospital Delhi Cantt. The award ceremony was attended by senior officials from AFMS.
Established in 1989, the Raksha Mantri Trophy aims to recognize excellence in healthcare services delivered by Armed Forces Hospitals and promote healthy competition among them.
A selection committee headed by an AFMS officer of the rank of Lt Gen/equivalent, recommends hospitals for the award each year through a comprehensive selection process based on objective performance indicators assessed during on-site visits to the hospitals.