Tangdhar, Jammu & Kashmir, September 25: Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) surgeons performed 220 sight-restoring surgeries during a two-day mega eye surgical camp held at Tangdhar in Kupwara district under Operation Drishti.
The 10th edition of the AFMS eye camp was conducted on September 24 and 25 at an underground operation theatre in Tangdhar, a shelling-prone area along the Line of Control (LoC). Most of the procedures were cataract surgeries, while selected patients also underwent retinal procedures and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
The camp was led by Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantonment. His team transported advanced phacoemulsification, vitreoretinal and glaucoma equipment across the mountainous terrain to conduct the procedures.
Patients from Khawarpora, Tangdhar, Tadd, Bagbela, Yangdar and surrounding hamlets attended the camp following medical screening and outreach through Radio Rooh-e-Karnah. The Indian Army coordinated the patients’ movement from arrival through post-operative recovery.
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited the camp and interacted with patients, while also distributing medicines and gifts. Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja also visited the facility and commended the medical teams and local personnel involved in the initiative.
The AFMS mega eye surgical camps were initiated under a programme envisaged by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. According to the Ministry of Defence, the series has so far screened more than 1.5 lakh patients and conducted over 3,500 surgeries across 10 cities.
The next camp, the 11th in the series, is scheduled to be held in Srinagar from September 27 to 29. A formal closing ceremony is scheduled for September 30 and will be attended by Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
