''Kayakalp'' awards: Chandigarh’s PGI bags top prize; AIIMS second

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has bagged the top prize of Rs 5 crore for its efforts in promoting hygiene and health facilities under the Centre's 'Kayakalp' programme.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, bagged second prize of Rs 2 crore.

Panchkula civil hospital was adjudged as the cleanest hospital in Haryana, while JBMM civil hospital in Amritsar took the top honour in Punjab.

In Himachal Pradesh, zonal hospital, Dharamsala, was adjudged best hospital. SNM Hospital, Leh, bagged the first position among hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir. In Uttarakhand, Chain Rai Women Hospital, Hardwar, was adjudged best.

'Kayakalp', a national initiative to promote cleanliness and enhance the quality of public health facilities aspires to inculcate culture of cleanliness to gain trust and confidence of community in such facilities, Union Health Secretary BP Sharma today said during a felicitation function for the awardees.

This year the awards have been given to Central government hospitals and district hospitals from 26 states.

The third prize of Rs 1 crore was given to North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong.

"With 'Kayakalp', we are taking a significant step towards achieving the goal of Swachch Bharat, as clean hospitals form an integral component of the larger mission of 'Clean India'," Sharma said.

He said from next year onwards, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) will also be included in the award category list.

The ministry would soon also issue guidelines on spending of the award money. — With PTI inputs