New Delhi. Command Hospital Air Force, Bengaluru and Command Hospital, Central Command, Lucknow were adjudged the best and second best Command Hospitals and given the Defence Minister trophy.

Giving away the awards, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the two hospitals for their outstanding performance and commended the service being rendered by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).

The awards were received by Air Vice Marshal Deepak Gaur and Maj Gen Vivek Sharma, the commandants of the two respective hospitals.

The Minister appreciated the commendable service being rendered by the AFMS, ranging from 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 said since the time of Acharya Charak medical profession and its proponents have been revered by the society and exhorted that endeavour should be made by these Command hospitals to maintain it.

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Senior Col Comandant, Army Medical Corps, Lt Gen Bipin Puri emphasised the preparedness of the AFMS to meet all challenges in providing medical support both during operations and in peacetime as well as when called upon to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. He reiterated the resolute commitment of the AFMS to strive for professional excellence at all times.

The Trophy was instituted in 1989 to recognise excellence in healthcare services provided by Command Hospitals of the AFMS and to foster a spirit of healthy competition among them.

The award ceremony was attended by Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Yesso Naik, Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and other officials.