The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has completed 220 eye surgeries during a two-day surgical camp in Tangdhar, Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir, which sits in a high-risk zone along the Line of Control. This was the 10th edition of Operation Drishti, an initiative by the Ministry of Defence to bring advanced surgical eye care to remote and underserved areas across India.
The surgeries took place on 24 and 25 September 2026 at an underground operation theatre in Tangdhar. The surgical team, led by Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi Cantonment, performed cataract surgeries as the primary intervention, along with retinal procedures and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
Key facts
- 220 eye surgeries conducted at Tangdhar camp on 24-25 September 2026
- 10th edition of Operation Drishti mega eye surgical camps
- Located at underground operation theatre in Tangdhar, Kupwara district, Jammu & Kashmir
- Surgery types: cataract, retinal and glaucoma procedures
- Overall programme: 1.50 lakh patients screened across 10 cities
- Overall programme: 3,500 surgeries conducted so far
- Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited the camp
- DG AFMS Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja also attended
- 11th camp planned for Srinagar from 27-29 September 2026
- Closing ceremony on 30 September 2026 with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha
What Operation Drishti covers
Operation Drishti is a series of mega eye surgical camps envisaged by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The programme brings specialist ophthalmologists and advanced surgical equipment to cities and remote areas that have limited access to modern eye care. Patients undergo screening before being selected for surgery, and the entire process from arrival to post-operative recovery is managed by medical teams and the Indian Army where applicable.
How the Tangdhar camp worked
The surgical camp at Tangdhar operated from an underground operation theatre, a facility built to function safely in a shelling-prone area near the Line of Control. Brigadier Mishra’s team transported advanced phacoemulsification equipment (for cataract surgery), vitreoretinal instruments and glaucoma surgery tools across challenging mountainous terrain to reach the site.
Local residents from Khawarpora, Tangdar, Tadd, Bagbela, Yangdar and neighbouring villages attended the camp after being informed through a radio announcement on Radio Rooh-e-Karnah and undergoing preliminary eye screening. The Indian Army coordinated logistics to ensure each patient received support from arrival through their recovery period.
Surgeries performed
Cataract removal and replacement surgery formed the bulk of the 220 procedures. Additionally, the team performed selective retinal procedures to address conditions affecting the retina at the back of the eye, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries that treat high intraocular pressure without requiring traditional open surgery.
Operation Drishti progress so far
The Tangdhar camp is the 10th such mega surgical event organised under Operation Drishti. Across all ten camps held in different cities, the AFMS has screened more than 1.50 lakh patients and completed over 3,500 surgeries. This demonstrates the scale of the initiative in addressing the backlog of eye care needs across India.
What happens next
The 11th camp in the Operation Drishti series will be held in Srinagar from 27 to 29 September 2026. A formal closing ceremony for this phase of the programme is scheduled for 30 September 2026 and will be attended by Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
What this means for you
If you live in a remote area or a city where eye care services are limited, Operation Drishti camps may bring free or subsidised cataract and glaucoma surgeries to your region. Keep an eye on announcements about upcoming camps in your state. If such a camp is scheduled nearby, register for screening to determine if you are a suitable candidate for surgery. The programme removes the need to travel long distances or pay high private hospital costs for sight-restoring procedures.