Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata gets Raksha Mantri’s Trophy for Best Service Hospital

Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata gets Raksha Mantri’s Trophy for Best Service Hospital 

The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar presented the Raksha Mantri’s Trophy and citation for the Best and Second Best Service Hospital in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) here today. The trophy for the Best Service Hospital went to Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata, which was received by its Commandant Major General TS Ahluwalia. The trophy for the Second Best Hospital was presented to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, which was received by its Commandant Surgeon Rear Admiral AA Pawar. 


Speaking on the occasion, the Defence Minister praised the yeoman service being rendered by the AFMS over the years both in war and peace. He complimented all the members of Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata, INHS Asvini, Mumbai and the entire AFMS for their excellent work in provisioning of contemporary and comprehensive healthcare. 


The Director General AFMS and Senior Colonel Commandant Lt Gen BK Chopra in his opening remarks highlighted the modernisation programme of the Medical Services and reassured that the AFMS is fully prepared to meet any challenge. 

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 Air Force. The Best and Second Best Hospital are adjudged on the basis of a number of objective criteria by a Committee headed by Director General Health Services (Armed Forces). The Joint Secretary (O/N), Ministry of Defence is also a member of the Committee. 

The function was attended by all the three Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and other senior officers from the Services and the Ministry of Defence. 

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Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) and Signing of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 

         
               As part of the ongoing India-Myanmar defence relations, Navies of the two countries have conducted Coordinated Patrols along the Maritime boundary since 2013. Taking it forward, the Fourth Edition of the India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) was successfully undertaken from February 13 to 16, 2016 along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Andaman Sea. Indian Navy Ships Saryu and Bitra along with Union of Myanmar Ships Aung Zeya and FAC 563 participated in the 4th IMCOR. Cmde Girish Garg, Naval Component Commander from the Tri-Service HQs in Port Blair was embarked onboard INS Saryu.

             During the Closing Ceremony of 4th IMCOR, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for IMCOR was also signed between Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy. Cmde Atul Anand VSM from Indian Navy and Cmde Aung Zaw Hlaing from Myanmar Navy signed the document in the presence of H.E Gautam Mukhopadhaya, the Ambassador of India to Myanmar. This is only the third country with which India has signed a formal agreement for maritime coordinated patrols and reflects growing naval interaction between India and Myanmar. The signing of the SOP is a significant achievement and will facilitate smooth conduct of coordinated patrols between two friendly neighbours that share a long maritime boundary in the strategically significant Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.    





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