New Delhi, Mar 26 : Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday presented the Command Hospital (Central Command) Lucknow the Raksha Mantri's Trophy for the best command hospital for the year 2007.

Antony presented the trophy and a cheque of Rs 2 lakhs to the Commandant of the Hospital Major General A K S Bararia.

He directed the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) to improve the condition of the field hospitals so that they are able to provide better services to jawans in insurgency-affected areas.

The Armed Forces medical services cover the length and breadth of the country with a network of 127 hospitals and 87 field medical units.

The Raksha Mantri's Trophy was instituted in 1989 to recognise excellence in patient care among the Command Hospitals of the Army and equivalent hospitals in the Navy and Air Force.

Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of Naval Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Army Staff, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, Deepa Jain Singh, Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare and other senior civil and military officers of Ministry of Defence were also present at the occasion. (ANI)