Underground OT, airlifted equipment, 220 surgeries: Army takes eye care to border Tangdhar
Calling Operation Drishti a symbol of “service, compassion, courage and resolve”, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today highlighted how Army doctors and soldiers overcame difficult terrain to perform 220 eye surgeries at border Tangdhar.
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha attended the closing ceremony of 11th Mega Eye Surgery Camp organised under Operation Drishti, which marks another milestone in the Indian Army’s healthcare outreach in the UT of Jammu Kashmir.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor expressed gratitude to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and commended the Indian Army for their dedication. The Lieutenant Governor also appreciated the selfless service of Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra and his team.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that Operation Drishti is a living embodiment of service, compassion, courage, and resolve. He highlighted that 144 surgeries were successfully performed at the Srinagar camp, while the Tangdhar camp in Kupwara district marked a historic milestone as the first mega eye surgery camp on the border. Despite challenging terrain and the constant threat, doctors and soldiers created an underground operation theatre and restored vision to 220 patients in just two days.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that modern surgical tools were airlifted to Tangdhar, enabling advanced eye care in a region where such facilities were previously unimaginable. Patients from Khawarpora, Tangdhar, Bagbella, and surrounding villages benefitted from the camp.
The Lieutenant Governor underscored that the 364 surgeries performed in Srinagar and Tangdhar represent not just medical statistics but transformed lives. He said under the leadership of Indian Army’s doctors, every surgery became a story of restored dignity and revived hope. The Lieutenant Governor also observed that at the national level, more than 1.5 lakh people have undergone eye examinations and more than 3,500 surgeries have been performed across 10 cities under Operation Drishti.
The Lieutenant Governor observed that Operation Drishti has strengthened trust between the Army and communities, proving that the Indian Army is not only a force of defence but also a source of compassion and healing. He saluted the courage of support staff, Air Force pilots, and soldiers who transported equipment, prepared underground theatres and ensured complex surgeries in adverse conditions.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor felicitated the Doctors and medical staff of Defence Forces for their valuable services during the camp. He also handed over post-operative kits to the beneficiaries.
Lieutenant General Balbir Singh, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Chinar Corps; Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Senior Consultant and HOD Department of Ophthalmology, Army Hospital R&R; Brigadier B.V. Rao, Commandant, 92 Base Hospital, and senior officials of Defence Forces attended the closing ceremony.