Mumbai's INHS Asvini is Best Command Hospital of armed forces

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

The Indian Navy's oldest and first hospital, the INHS Asvini, the state-of-the-art super speciality medicare institution in Colaba here, has been adjudged the Best Command Hospital of the Armed Forces, an official said on Thursday.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar presented the Raksha Mantri Trophy to Surgeon Rear Admiral Ravi Kalra, Commanding Officer of INHS Asvini, in New Delhi on Thursday.

Last year, a multi-disciplinary team of the Defence Ministry had visited all the Command Hospitals belonging to the Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force to make a thorough assessment of the facilities and quality of tertiary care provided.

Set up in 1756 as the King's Seamen Hospital, the then military hospital was commissioned into the Indian Navy in September 1951 and named INHS Asvini.

Since then, it has grown into a 825-bed hospital offering all super specialities and facilities in an ultra-modern building, attracting over 2,000 patients in OPD and 100 new admissions daily.

As the only Command Hospital of the Indian Navy, the INHS Asvini also trains doctors at post-graduate level, and nurses and paramedics at various levels.

In 1992, the Centre had allocated Rs 136 crore for a thorough modernisation, construction of a new building, restoration of the heritage buildings and augmenting facilities at the hospital.

The trophy for the second best Service Command Hospital was bagged by Command Hospital (Northern Command), Udhampur, in Jammu & Kashmir.

--IANS

qn/lok/vt