Usually, the Raksha Mantri Award is given for excellent performance in six categories. (Representational)The Cantonment General Hospitals of Pune, Kirkee and Deolali have been conferred the Raksha Mantri Award for their “outstanding performance” in the fight against Covid-19. The number of deaths in Pune Cantonment Hospital, six, has been one of the lowest, when compared to the number of patients treated, said Amit Kumar, CEO of Pune Cantonment Board.
Usually, the Raksha Mantri Award is given for excellent performance in six categories. But this year, the Ministry of Defence, through the Defence Estates Department, did not confer the usual awards due to the pandemic situation and instead instituted a new award category ‘Public Health – Challenge of Covid’, to recognise and acknowledge the efforts made by various cantonment boards and hospitals in their fight against Covid-19.
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The Cantonment General Hospital was identified as the Designated Covid Health Centre (DCHC). The Board had equipped its hospital with a 20-bed ICU and upgraded the DCHC to a Dedicated Covid Hospital.
Staff wears black badges in protest at Cantonment General Hospital
Nearly 10-15 permanent Class IV staff of the Cantonment General Hospital, including ayahs and ward assistants, wore black badges on Wednesday to protest `insufficient’ incentives despite working during the coronavirus pandemic. “We have not given incentives from the Cantonment fund. There was a need to boost the morale of contract workers and we had to retain them during the months of May-June, so a certain amount was paid as an incentive. After the permanent staff demanded incentives at par with the contract workers, a proposal was approved by the board to give them Rs 150 per day for 65 days along the line of payment to PMC workers,” said Kumar, adding, “We heard their demands and will look into the matter.”