Step up vigil against adversary’s desperate attempts to disrupt peace: L-G to Army

A four-day mega eye camp, ‘Op Drishti’, organised by Command Hospital, Northern Command, Udhampur in collaboration with a surgical team from the Army Hospital Research and Referral, New Delhi, concluded on Saturday.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, along with other senior Army officers, were present at the closing ceremony.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Sinha urged the armed forces to remain vigilant, warning that the "adversary" was making desperate attempts to disrupt peace and hinder India's progress.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the ceremony virtually and appreciated the efforts of Northern Command and the Armed Forces Medical Services for “providing emergency medical care as and when required and excellent eye care services to people of J&K.” Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi also virtually addressed the gathering.

The camp screened more than 2,000 persons and performed over 400 surgeries on patients from far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including remote villages in Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Ramban and elsewhere.

An Army spokesperson said, “The surgical team consisted of highly skilled and experienced ophthalmologists led by Brigadier SK Mishra, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital Research and Referral, New Delhi, who has the distinction of performing surgery on two Presidents of India.”

He said the team, along with surgeons from Command Hospital, Northern Command, Udhampur, conducted screenings and surgeries using advanced equipment and high-quality intraocular lenses. “The equipment used was the best of its class in the world as informed by Brig SK Mishra. Besides cataract, the team screened and treated patients with glaucoma and retina diseases. Patients from remote areas, who often face challenges accessing quality medical facilities, availed highest quality eye care services,” the spokesperson added.