‘Op Drishti’: Army hospital team restores sight for hundreds in J&K

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) In a monumental display of commitment to both serving personnel and local communities, the Northern Command’s Command Hospital in Udhampur successfully concluded ‘Op Drisht’ — a first-of-its-kind advanced surgical eye camp — in collaboration with a specialised surgical team from Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Saturday.

Held from November 18 to 22, the camp far exceeded expectations, screening over 2,000 people and performing more than 400 complex eye surgeries, including procedures for cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal ailments.

People, including serving personnel, dependents, Veer Naris (war widows), and local civilians, came from far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including remote villages in Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Ramban, etc.

“The surgical team consisted of highly skilled and experienced ophthalmologists led by Brigadier S.K. Mishra, a distinguished ophthalmic surgeon and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research and Referral), who has the distinction of performing surgery on two Indian Presidents,” the MoD said in its press note.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually addressed the closing ceremony and appreciated the efforts of the Northern Command and Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for providing emergency medical care as and when required to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi also virtually addressed the gathering, congratulating the AFMS and Northern Command for this unique endeavour.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the closing ceremony.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, was present on the occasion.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also visited the camp on November 20 to interact with the patients.

The camp delivered life-altering results, restoring the sight of 96-year-old Rajkumari Devi and 72-year-old Surinder Singh from Poonch.

After recovering his sight, Surinder Singh — who had witnessed tragic losses during Operation Sindoor shelling — transformed his gratitude into action, personally mobilising fellow citizens struggling with hardship to avail the facilities.

Similarly, 56-year-old retired soldier Abdullah Shafeeq from Mendhar proved pivotal in coordinating aid for conflict-impacted residents.

‘Op Drishti’ stands as a powerful testament to the AFMS and Northern Command’s profound commitment to the health and well-being of the region.

–IANS

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