Indian Army doctors give new sight to civilians caught in Pakistan’s fury

Udhampur: An advanced surgical eye camp organised by the Command Hospital Northern Command in Udhampur has brought life-changing relief to residents across the remote border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, restoring vision to hundreds who had long been living in darkness.

The initiative, launched as a major healthcare outreach effort for those living in geographically and socio-economically challenged regions, screened around 1,500 individuals. Those served included Army personnel, their dependents, Veer Naris (war widows), and civilians from Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu, Ramban, Kishtwar, Doda and Udhampur.

The screenings were conducted by a network of ophthalmologists deployed across the operational area, mobilising patients from far-flung areas under the supervision of Commandant Maj Gen Sanjay Sharma.

State-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment was deployed at the camp, enabling surgeries for cataract, glaucoma, retina and vitreous conditions. More than 400 surgeries were performed by the team, led by Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a highly-decorated ophthalmologist of the Army Medical Corps known for having operated on two serving Presidents of India. Specialist medical staff from Army Hospital (Research & Referral) supported the procedures.

Among the beneficiaries was Surinder Singh, a 72-year-old resident of Poonch, who had suffered from blindness for nearly three years. He had lived through the trauma of losing neighbours during ‘Operation Sindoor’ and had struggled to remain active in his community. After regaining sight, Singh assisted others in his locality to join the camp and seek treatment.

Another contributor to mobilisation efforts was 56-year-old retired soldier Abdullah Shafeeq from Mendhar, who helped ensure residents affected by recent conflict could access specialised eye care. The oldest patient treated, 96-year-old Rajkumari Devi, expressed joy at being able to see clearly again, calling it “a gift at the twilight of life”.

The eye camp was conceptualised following a request by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The minister directed Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to ensure rapid execution of the programme in Udhampur. Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma oversaw the implementation of the camp, reflecting the Army’s commitment to community welfare in border regions. Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Surgeon Vice Admiral Aarti Sarin and DGMS (Army) Lieutenant General C.G. Muralidharan supervised the medical planning.