Bhuj, Feb 5 (IANS) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday visited the Surgical Eye Camp at the Military Hospital in Bhuj, marking the conclusion of a three-day outreach programme that restored vision to more than 200 beneficiaries from the border district of Kutch.

The camp, conducted from February 3 to 5 under the aegis of the Indian Army’s Southern Command, was organised in collaboration with the Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi.

During the visit, the Defence Secretary was accompanied by Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command.

He interacted with patients in post-operative wards, enquired about their recovery, and personally distributed medicines and spectacles to several beneficiaries.

Acknowledging the efforts of the medical teams, Singh felicitated Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Consultant and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (R&R), and the specialist surgical team for their work in delivering advanced eye care in challenging field conditions.

Describing the camp as “a commendable example of the Indian Army’s commitment to veterans’ welfare and military–civil cooperation”, the Defence Secretary said such initiatives had a “significant impact in improving the quality of life” of people living in remote and border areas.

The outreach programme catered to a target population of nearly 3,000 people across the Kutch district. Beneficiaries included veterans, their dependents and civilians from more than 120 villages in Bhuj taluka, including remote border areas such as Lakhpat, Narayan Sarovar and Dayapar.

Alongside the surgeries, comprehensive eye screenings were conducted to identify and address a range of ophthalmic conditions at an early stage.

According to officials, all surgical procedures were carried out using state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment and premium intraocular lenses, with strict adherence to established clinical and safety standards.

The focus remained on providing specialised corrective care closer to patients’ homes, reducing the need for long-distance travel for treatment. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, who also visited the camp during its course, interacted with patients and medical staff and commended the professionalism and dedication of the teams involved.

He noted that such medical outreach programmes play an important role in addressing healthcare gaps in geographically remote and strategically sensitive regions.

The Indian Army said the initiative was part of its continuing efforts to extend quality healthcare services to underserved populations in border areas.

By combining specialised medical expertise with local outreach, the Army aims to strengthen access to essential health services while reinforcing its longstanding engagement with veteran and civilian communities in frontier regions.

–IANS

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