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The Central government has selected Uttar Pradesh based '60 Parachute Field Hospital for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024 for its excellent work in disaster management.
The '60 Parachute Field Hospital, which has been selected for the prestigious award this year in the institutional category, was established in 1942. It is the sole airborne medical establishment of the Indian Armed Forces, recognised for its exceptional service in various global crises. Ministry of Home Affairs made the announcement, mentioning that the primary mission of the hospital includes humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during natural calamities, nationally and internationally, both in times of peace and war. It provided medical assistance during the Uttarakhand floods (2013), the Nepal Earthquake under the operation name 'Maitri' (2015) and the Indonesian Tsunami as part of Operation Samudra Maitri (2018). Recently, in response to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria in February 2023, the unit rapidly assembled a 99-member team and established India's pioneering level-2 medical facility in Turkey overcoming resource constraints and language barriers to set up a 30 bed hospital in Hatay province's school building. The unit provided a wide range of medical services, including rescue, triage, surgery, dental treatment, X-ray and lab facilities and offered care to 3600 patients during 12 days as a part of 'Operation Dost'. The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of disaster management. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an institution and Rs 5 lakh and a certificate in the case of an individual. Under the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, the country has significantly improved its disaster management practices, preparedness, mitigation and response mechanisms, resulting in a significant reduction in casualties during natural calamities, the MHA said in a statement. The Union Home Minister continuously reviews disaster preparedness and stresses the training of community and adopting best practices by the stakeholders to minimise loss of life and property. For the award of year-2024, online nominations were solicited from July 1, 2023 onwards. The award scheme for the year 2024 was given wide publicity through print, electronic and social media. In response to the award scheme, 245 valid nominations were received from institutions and individuals. (ANI)
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