The Defence Minister on July 16 awarded the Raksh Mantri Trophy for the Best Command Service Hospital to the Air Force's facility in Bengaluru and urged that all hospitals under the armed forces should strive to be the best.

The second prize was won by Command Hospital - Central Command Lucknow, officials said. At a ceremony held at the South Block here, the Union minister handed out the Raksh Mantri trophies for the Best Command Service Hospital and Second Best Command Service Hospital. Commandant of the Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru Air Vice Marshal Deepak Gaur and commandant of the Command Hospital Central Command Lucknow Maj Gen Vivek Sharma received the award on behalf of the two hospitals. "I have visited a referral hospital of the armed forces, but have never had the chance to visit any command hospital. Maybe, I as a defence minister, I would get an opportunity to visit it after all," Singh said.

In his address at the event, which was also attended by the three service chiefs -- Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh -- he urged that all command hospitals should strive to be the best. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra were also present on the occasion.

"I am very happy to award the Raksh Mantri Trophy for the Best Command Service Hospital for the year 2018 to the Command Hospital of the Air Force in Bengaluru and the trophy for the second best hospital to the army command hospital in Lucknow," the defence minister said.

"But, these hospitals will have to continue to work hard and provide the best of the services, so that, the recognition, in future, is not called into question," he said. Senior Army officials said the two hospitals were chosen on the basis of 35 broad parameters, like satisfaction of patients, innovation and use of technology, documentation and inventory management.

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Senior Col Comandant, Army Medical Corps Lt Gen Bipin Puri , in his address, 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.

The Raksha Mantri 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. "A selection committee headed by an AFMS officer of the rank of Lt Gen or equivalent with the Joint Secretary (Navy), Ministry of Defence as a member recommends hospitals for the award each year via a comprehensive selection process based on objective performance indicators assessed during on-site visits to the hospitals," the Army said in a statement. The Raksh Mantri Trophy for the Second Best Command Service Hospital was added in 2009, the official added.