Army’s Gift of Sight: 250 veterans’ visions restored ahead of New Year in mega camp | India News

LUCKNOW: As a New Year gift to veterans grappling with impaired vision, a team of Army doctors from the Research and Referral (RR) Hospital in New Delhi, Lucknow’s Command Hospital, and Military Hospital Dehradun restored the eyesight of more than 250 individuals in just three days.
The operation was conducted in Dehradun under the aegis of the Indian Army’s Central Command and Uttarakhand Sub Area from Dec 25 to 27. For the procedures, the Army transported sophisticated equipment, including a phacoemulsification machine, an operating microscope, and premium intraocular lenses—comprising multi-focus, monofocal, toric, and EDOF lenses—from RR Hospital to the hill station via road.
“Considering the substantial number of veterans and their dependents residing in remote locations in the Himalayas who were struggling with impaired vision in their daily lives, the Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen (retired) Gurmit Singh, proposed an initiative to organise a mega camp with COAS Upendra Dwivedi. Following this, DGMS (Army) Lt Gen Sadhana Saxena Nair instructed us to arrange a camp to reach the maximum number of veterans,” said Brigadier Sanjay Mishra, Sena Medal (twice), who heads the ophthalmology department at RR Hospital, New Delhi.

As per conservative estimates, the Indian Army invested approximately Rs 1.5 crore on surgeries with premium intraocular lenses, ensuring veterans would not need additional vision-related treatment. The surgical team included Brigadier Mishra, Lt Col Ravi Chauhan, Lt Col Ishan Aggarwal, Lt Col Gangandeep Kaur, Major Amrita Joshi, and Major Jyoti Sheoran.

“Since the majority resided in remote locations of Uttarakhand, with a few in their 90s, the objective was to perform precise surgeries with zero margin for error. The procedures were executed using the most advanced equipment available globally,” said an official source.
Around 250 cataract surgeries were completed, alongside glaucoma treatments with advanced minimally invasive surgery, intravitreal injections (medical retina injections), treatments for dry eyes, and other medical assistance provided to over 850 registered patients.