AFMS performs 220 eye surgeries at Tangdhar camp along LoC
Armed Forces Medical Services surgeons conducted 220 sight-restoring surgeries at a two-day mega eye camp in Tangdhar, Kupwara, along the Line of Control.
Surgeons of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) performed 220 sight-restoring surgeries during the 10th edition of the Mega Eye Surgical Camp, held under Operation Drishti at an underground operation theatre in Tangdhar, Kupwara, a shelling-prone zone along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir. The two-day camp was held on September 24 and 25, 2026.
Most of the procedures were cataract surgeries, with selective retinal interventions and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery also carried out.
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 mountainous terrain to the site.
Patients from Khawarpora, Tangdar, Tadd, Bagbela, Yangdar and nearby hamlets attended after screening and a broadcast on Radio Rooh-e-Karnah. Indian Army personnel guided each patient from arrival through recovery.
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited the camp over the two days, interacting with patients and distributing medicines and gifts. Director General AFMS Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja also visited and commended the surgeons and the local team for their skill and effort.
The series of mega surgical eye camps was envisaged by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. So far, more than 1.50 lakh patients have been screened and over 3,500 surgeries conducted across 10 cities.
The 11th camp in the series is scheduled in Srinagar from September 27 to 29, 2026, with a formal closing ceremony on September 30, 2026, to be attended by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha.