Shabir Ahmad
In a major healthcare outreach initiative along the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army’s Operation Drishti has restored sight to 220 people through specialised eye surgeries conducted in the remote Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited Tangdhar on September 25 to review the two-day surgical camp and interact with beneficiaries, highlighting the Army’s efforts to extend advanced medical care to residents of border areas where difficult terrain, distance and limited healthcare facilities often impede access to specialised treatment.
The camp was conducted on September 24 and 25 at the underground Forward Surgical Centre of the Army’s 328 Field Hospital in the Karnah sector. Surgeons from the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) performed 220 sight-restoring procedures in a shelling-prone area along the LoC, marking a significant medical outreach effort in a strategically sensitive border region.
Most of the procedures were cataract surgeries, while selected patients also underwent retinal interventions and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS).
Led by Brigadier (Dr) Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi, the medical team brought advanced ophthalmic equipment, including facilities for phacoemulsification, vitreoretinal surgery and glaucoma treatment, across challenging mountainous terrain from Delhi and Srinagar.
The initiative was undertaken in coordination with 92 Base Hospital and local Army medical units under the Chinar Corps.
Patients from remote villages and hamlets, including Khawarpora, Tangdhar, Tadd, Bagbela and Yangdar, benefited from the camp. Many had been identified during preliminary screening camps organised across several areas of Kashmir, including Tangdhar, Uri, Bandipora, Khanabal, Kangan, Dawar and Baramulla.
Radio Rooh-e-Karnah helped disseminate information about the initiative, while the Army made arrangements for transportation, meals and other logistical requirements, ensuring that patients could access treatment without bearing the burden of travelling to distant hospitals.
During his visit, General Seth interacted with patients and their families, distributed medicines and gifts, and reviewed the facilities established to provide specialised treatment in the forward area.
Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services, Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja also visited the centre and appreciated the efforts of the medical teams and local personnel in organising the camp under challenging operational and geographical conditions.
For residents of Karnah, the initiative addressed a longstanding healthcare challenge. Patients requiring specialised eye treatment would otherwise have to travel to Srinagar or other medical centres, involving considerable expenditure, time and physical hardship.
Elderly beneficiaries who had struggled with deteriorating eyesight for years expressed relief after undergoing surgery. Residents said the availability of advanced treatment close to their homes was particularly significant for poor families and those unable to afford repeated journeys to tertiary healthcare facilities.
One account from the camp highlighted the difficulties faced by a family that carried a woman over rough mountain paths to reach medical assistance. Following her procedure, she expressed gratitude to the Army personnel, doctors and paramedics who helped restore her vision.
The underground surgical facility was central to the operation, enabling medical teams to provide specialised care in a vulnerable border sector. Its use demonstrated how medical infrastructure and logistical arrangements can be adapted to reach communities living in difficult and potentially high-risk locations.
Operation Drishti is part of a broader programme of mega eye surgical camps envisaged by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. According to information provided by the Army, the wider initiative has screened more than 1.5 lakh patients and facilitated over 3,500 surgeries across 10 cities.
The Tangdhar phase was followed by additional procedures at 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar, with the formal closing ceremony attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The programme complements the Army’s broader Operation Sadbhavana outreach, which focuses on extending healthcare, education and welfare support to people living in remote and underserved areas.
In the Karnah sector, where rugged terrain and limited access to specialised medical facilities continue to pose challenges, the camp offered more than immediate surgical relief. By bringing advanced ophthalmic services to the doorstep of border communities, the initiative sought to reduce the gap between residents of remote villages and the specialised healthcare available in urban centres.
The restoration of sight to 220 beneficiaries has also reinforced the humanitarian dimension of the Army’s presence along the LoC, demonstrating how medical outreach can complement its primary security responsibilities.
For many patients, the camp meant renewed independence and the ability to resume everyday activities with improved vision. For the wider community, it highlighted the importance of sustained healthcare interventions in areas where geographical isolation can turn treatable conditions into prolonged hardships.
