Tangdhar, September 25: The Indian Army has organised a mega cataract surgery camp at the Underground Forward Surgical Centre of the former 328 Field Hospital in Tangdhar, providing specialised ophthalmic treatment to residents of the remote border area.

Speaking to the press, Brigadier (Dr.) Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital, Research and Referral, New Delhi, said the initiative was organised with the support of Army Hospital, Research and Referral, 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, and 328 Field Hospital, Tangdhar.

Brigadier Mishra expressed gratitude to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, and Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Balbir Singh for their support in facilitating the medical outreach programme in the border area.

He said the initiative was developed in phases. During the initial phase, Brigadier B. V. Rao, Commandant of 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, and his team carried out the groundwork and performed initial cataract surgeries at Tangdhar.

Following the response from patients and the identification of additional beneficiaries requiring treatment, the Army expanded the initiative into a larger surgical camp. A specialised ophthalmology team from Army Hospital, Research and Referral, New Delhi, subsequently travelled to Tangdhar with advanced medical equipment and surgical facilities.

The team also brought specialised intraocular lenses for patients undergoing cataract procedures, while the local Army medical teams provided logistical and operational support for the camp.

Brigadier Mishra said around 110 patients underwent surgery on the first day of the main camp, taking the number of patients operated upon to nearly 130 when the initial procedures were included. Another 88 patients were scheduled for surgery on the following day.

He said the initiative was particularly significant for Tangdhar and surrounding border areas, where access to specialised medical infrastructure remains limited. Several patients had been living with advanced cataracts that affected their daily activities and mobility.

The officer said the surgeries conducted during the camp had been successful and that the response from beneficiaries demonstrated the importance of taking specialised healthcare services closer to remote communities.

“This is not the end. This is a beginning,” Brigadier Mishra said, indicating that similar medical outreach initiatives could be organised in other remote areas in the future.

He also stressed the importance of coordination between Army medical facilities. He said the initial efforts by 92 Base Hospital and 328 Field Hospital helped establish the groundwork, while specialists from Army Hospital, Research and Referral, New Delhi, joined the programme when it was expanded into a larger surgical camp.

Brigadier Mishra said future outreach initiatives could follow a similar collaborative model, with Army hospitals based in Srinagar and specialised centres contributing to medical programmes in remote areas.

Explaining the selection of Tangdhar, he said the programme was part of a broader effort to reach underserved communities and that similar initiatives could subsequently be extended to other remote parts of Kashmir.

He also highlighted the underground operation theatre at the former 328 Field Hospital, which provided an established surgical environment for conducting procedures on a larger scale.

The officer said a camp involving a substantial number of surgeries requires proper operation theatre infrastructure and cannot be conducted effectively in a temporary setup. The Tangdhar facility was identified during the initial phase and subsequently selected for the expanded surgical programme.

Operation Drishti is being conducted as part of the Army’s wider healthcare outreach under Operation Sadbhavana, with the objective of taking specialised medical services closer to civilians and veterans living in remote and border areas.