Army Northern Command Hospital is Best

New Delhi, Jun 6 (UNI) The Army's Command Hospital (Northern Command) at Udhampur has been adjudged as the Best Run Command Hospital under the Armed Forces for the year 2006.

The Raksha Mantri's Trophy was today presented at a function here by Defence Minister A K Antony to the Hospital Commandant Major General Naresh Kumar. The award also caries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.

Speaking on the occasion, the Defence Minister praised the yeoman service rendered by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) over the years both during war and peace.

He said AFMS had also brought laurels to the nation whenever deployed on UN duty or humanitarian missions in various countries.

Minister Antony said the swiftness with which medical relief was despatched for earthquake victims of Indonesia had been appreciated all over the world. "I have no doubt that the health of our troops, the ex-servicemen and their families is in safe hands", he added.

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Surgeon Admiral Yogendra Singh highlighted the modernisation programme of the Medical Services and reassured that they were fully prepared to meet any challenge.

Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju, the three Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, Secretary Defence Production KP Singh and various other senior civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

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 the Air Force. The best hospital is adjudged on the basis of a number of objective criteria by a Committee headed by the Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces). The Joint Secretary (Establishment) in the Ministry of Defence is also a member of the Committee.

UNI