ECHS Secunderabad Gearing up for Veteran Care

Dental Wing
Cafeteria and CSD Canteen
Ambulance donated
Dear Veterans
I am sending pictures of recent events at ECHS Secunderabad to update you all. As has been in the recent past the Army Commander, Sub Area Commander Maj Gen KD Singh has made it possible for the veterans to have these improvements and additions at the ECHS. I am honoured to be a volunteer in this enabling environment. The Sub Area Commander has taken initiative and his drive and enthusiasm is very encouraging (and infectious) to all of us. His staff and those at the ECHS are also very helpful. The Sub Area Commander is always willing to examine suggestions for improvement of ECHS.

1. The dental wing building in the ECHS compound has been completed and now in addition to the Dentist at ECHS, 3 more dental chairs from the Army Dental College centre (Extn) which was functioning from the Bison Canteen Compound have been shifted into this building. We now have four dental chairs, a qualified dentist (ECHS), 3 dental interns from the Army Dental College, hygienist and other staff. A specialist from the Army Dental College will make a visit once a week.

2. The building that is going to house the Cafeteria and CSD outlet. This was an existing building and lot of renovation and repair has been done and a building with an area of appx 2500 plus sq ft is now getting ready. The false roofing is nearing completion and the flooring, painting and other refinements/ additions will take another fortnight or so for completion. The roofing for this building costing about Rs 1.8 Lakhs has been donated by a private listed company, MS Pennar Industries subsidiary Pre Engineered Building Systems (Pebs Pennar). I have been associated with Pennar Group in various capacities for the past 20 years.

3. Donation of Ambulance by family of late Lt Col Gev Eduljee
The most notable and very noble and heart moving gesture was made by the family of Late Lt Col Gev Edulji (his son Viraf is a serving Capt in the Indian Navy). The ambulance was donated yesterday 2 Jul 10 at a simple function. The Sub Area Commander Maj Gen KD Singh and other retired senior officers -Air Marshal Nair, AVM PK Mani, Admiral Pestonji and others were present. Capt Viraf and Mrs Edulji handed over the keys of the ambulance to Maj Gen KD Singh who handed it over to Col Basha the OIC ECHS Secunderabad.

The current parking area is not sufficient and hence a new parking area just outside the compound is being got ready. The ECHS at Secunderabad currently attends to about 500 patients daily. Plans are afoot to make further improvements/ additions.
With best wishes,
Wg Cdr (Retd) A B Bhushan

Nation bereft of Humane Values

We are proud Indians but I still feel there is something we must do to improve our nation. I do not have the answer to this but I feel basically the value of a human being is missing.
Few lines for pondering:
WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY

Where Pizza reaches home faster than the Ambulance and Police.

Where we get Car Loans @ 8% but Education loan is @ 12%.

Where Rice is Rs 40/KG but Sim Card is free.

Where a millionaire can buy cricket team, instead donate money in any charity. I personally hate this IPL nonsense- we as Indians should boycott this game in totality in its revised form.

Where everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to follow the path for betterment of the nation.

Where people standing at tea stall reading an article about child labor from a paper and says “yaar bacho se kaam karne walo ko to fansi pe chada dena chahiye”
and then they shout - “oye Chotu 2 chai laana”
FIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI
JAI HIND
Hemant Kamboj
(Son of Brig CS Kamboj)

Change of Command Ceremony- US Army

more photographs click here
Change of command of a unit or formation is a very important event. Sadly, in the Indian Army this function is mostly confined to the offices.

I had the pleasure of witnessing change of command of a US Army Reserve unit, in San Diego, California in 2007. Let me recount the details.

The main event of the ceremony was a ceremonial parade by the unit personnel. It was presided over by the Brigade Commander, who had come from a few hundred miles away. To witness the parade, former serving and retired Brigade Commanders, officers commanding, other officers, NCOs and men were invited. I was a special invitee, guest of a serving Colonel. A band was in attendance.

The Brigade Commander reviewed and addressed the parade. He praised the services of the out going Officer Commanding and introduced the incoming incumbent. Next, the out going and incoming Officers commanding addressed the parade and also the senior most NCO (like our Subedar Major).

During the speeches, the role played by the ladies of the Unit was highlighted too, particularly since this unit had sent sub units to Iraq and some were due to go.

The Brigade Commander and the two officers commanding went down from the podium. The Senior Most NCO took the Regimental Standard from the Honour Guard and handed it over to the out going officer commanding. He in turn handed it over to the Brigade Commander. The Brigade Commander handed over the Standard to the new Officer Commanding and he in turn handed it back to the senior most NCO. This was followed by a march past.

After the Parade refreshments were served and there was social interaction.

ABOVE ARE PICTURES OF COL ARJINDERPAL SINGH SEKHON, US ARMY (A CARDIOLOGIST) TAKING OVER COMMAND OF THE US 349TH COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL ON JANUARY 21, 2007, LOS ANGELES.
Col Arjinderpal Singh Sekhon, US Army- Command Ceremony

Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh, PVSM
Signal Officer-in-Chief, 1988-91