Army eye-care camps perform surgeries in Kashmir border region, official says

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has praised the Indian Army’s Operation Drishti after eye-care camps in Kashmir, including a programme in the border area of Tangdhar in Kupwara district. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Army’s Mega Eye Surgical Camp on Wednesday, Sinha said 144 surgeries had been successfully performed at the Srinagar camp. He described the Tangdhar camp as the first mega eye-surgery camp on the border and called it a historic milestone.

According to Sinha, the camps restored vision to 220 patients in two days. He said doctors and soldiers created an underground operating theatre despite difficult terrain and security concerns, while modern surgical equipment was airlifted to Tangdhar. Patients from Khawarpora, Tangdhar, Bagbella and surrounding villages benefited from the camp, the Lieutenant Governor said.

He praised Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra and his team, describing the operation as an example of service, compassion, courage and determination. Sinha said access to Tangdhar involved crossing mountains and difficult terrain. He argued that the delivery of advanced eye care in the area showed that medical services could reach remote communities when planning and commitment were in place.

The Lieutenant Governor said more than 150,000 people had undergone eye examinations and more than 3,500 surgeries had been performed across 10 cities under Operation Drishti. He said the Army’s role extended beyond defence to providing support and medical assistance to residents of Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha said the operation demonstrated the potential to deliver modern medicine to every part of the country.

He linked the initiative to a broader goal of ensuring that citizens were not left behind, without providing further details of the programme’s future activities.