The Ministry of Defence has announced the commencement of Operation DRISHTI, an advanced surgical eye camp being conducted at Military Hospital Namkum in Ranchi from June 15-19, 2026. The initiative involves a specialized ophthalmic team from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force aiming to perform over 200 free advanced eye surgeries for beneficiaries including ex-servicemen, serving dependents, and underprivileged civilians.
The surgical procedures being offered include Phacoemulsification for Cataract, Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS), and Anti-VEGF Intravitreal Injections for Vitreo-Retinal diseases. The camp is led by Brigadier Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Consultant and Head of Department (Ophthalmology) at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi. To support the mission, world-class medical equipment has been airlifted to Ranchi through Indian Air Force service aircraft.
Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Vice Admiral Arti Sarin described the mission as demonstrating the military's dual identity as both guardian of the nation's borders and architect of social resilience. Operation DRISHTI is a flagship outreach program that has previously conducted eight advanced surgical eye camps across remote and underserved regions including Leh, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Bhuj, Kutch, and Bagdogra.