Rohit Shishodia
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, has been conferred the Kayakalp Award and Rs 3 crore for being the cleanest medical facility in India. This is the third consecutive time when the award has been given to the country’s premier institute.

The award was presented to the senior officials of the hospital by the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.  The Union Health Ministry prepares the list of government and private hospitals in the country to present Kayakalp award for setting and keeping the high standards in sanitation, infection control and hygiene.

The hospitals are kept in A and B category for the awards. AIIMS was declared in A category. IPMER-Puducherry was judged as the runner-up in this category with Rs. 1.5 crore prize money, and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, won the Commendation Award of Rs. 50 lakh each.

Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital in Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, was awarded Rs 2 crore with AIIMS-Bhubaneswar as the runner-up winning Rs. 1 crore. NEIGRIHMS-Shillong, LGBRIMH-Tezpur and AIIMS-Bhopal each won Rs. 50 lakhs as commendation award. 11 private health facilities were felicitated for keeping the hospitals clean.

Dr Vardhan said that Kayakalp award has made  an inspiration towards ‘swachhta’ in community and region. Now you should become role models for other health facilities and inspire and lead your community and districts towards achieving the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene, he told the awardees.