Tangdhar, September 25: Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited Tangdhar on Friday and interacted with Army veterans during the closing ceremony of the Tangdhar phase of Operation Drishti, the Indian Army’s specialised cataract surgery initiative for civilians and veterans in remote areas of Kashmir.

General Seth was accompanied by Major General Rakesh Nair, General Officer Commanding, 28 Infantry Division, and Brigadier Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital, Research and Referral, New Delhi.

During his interaction with veterans, General Seth acknowledged their service and assured them of the Army’s continued support. He told the veterans that they could approach him whenever they needed assistance and assured them that he would always stand by them.

The Army Chief’s visit coincided with the completion of the first phase of Operation Drishti at the underground Forward Surgical Centre of the former 328 Field Hospital in Tangdhar. Under the initiative, 200 patients were scheduled to undergo cataract surgeries on September 24 and 25.

The wider medical outreach programme identified around 400 patients through screening camps conducted in remote areas including Tangdhar, Uri, Bandipora, Khanabal, Kangan, Dawar and Baramulla. The remaining 200 surgeries are scheduled to be conducted at 92 Base Hospital, Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar, during the second phase.

The specialised surgical team is being led by Brigadier Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital, Research and Referral, New Delhi. Advanced diagnostic equipment and microsurgical facilities have been deployed to provide specialised treatment closer to the homes of residents in remote areas.

Operation Drishti is being conducted as part of the Army’s wider healthcare outreach under Operation Sadbhavana, with the aim of taking specialised medical services to people living in remote and underserved areas.