Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) successfully conducted the 12th edition of Operation DRISHTI, a Mega Multi-Speciality Medical Camp at Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, treating over 4,000 patients and performing 365 sight-restoring eye surgeries between November 02-04, 2026. The camp provided comprehensive specialist medical care free of cost, bringing advanced healthcare services closer to the people of the region.
On November 04, 2026, Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), visited the camp and interacted with patients undergoing consultation and post-operative care. He also presented medicine kits to patients who had undergone eye surgeries. He appreciated the dedication and commitment of the medical teams, who continued their services despite challenging weather conditions posed by a cyclone, ensuring uninterrupted medical care to the people.
The camp brought together specialists from Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Dermatology, Dental and General Medicine under one roof. Every patient reporting at the camp was provided on-site medical attention. The initiative enabled patients to undergo screening, investigations and treatment, with referrals for advanced care wherever required.
The Cardiology Department attended to over 400 patients, conducted 298 ECGs and 406 echocardiograms, and identified 29 patients requiring advanced interventions, including angiography, CT angiography, valve surgery, device implantation and balloon pulmonary valvotomy. Nephrology treated over 400 patients and conducted 341 ultrasound examinations, while Dermatology attended to over 500 patients. The Dental team treated 221 patients and performed 198 procedures, and General Medicine attended to 339 patients.
The beneficiaries include 75-year-old Biswanath, who had been living with a complicated cataract following an old eye injury. The surgical team successfully performed manual small-incision cataract surgery with a scleral-fixated intraocular lens, restoring the possibility of improved vision. Another beneficiary was 60-year-old Sombari Gope, who had a dense cataract in a structurally small eye. The surgeons successfully performed manual small-incision cataract surgery with a posterior chamber lens, ensuring protection of the cornea.
The camp, conducted at the place where the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu belongs to, marks another significant milestone in Operation DRISHTI, the AFMS initiative to extend specialised eye care and advanced medical services to underserved regions across the country. The successful conduct of the camp reflects the Armed Forces Medical Services’ unwavering commitment to humanitarian service and its resolve to make quality healthcare accessible to all, bringing specialised treatment and the gift of sight to the doorstep of the people of Mayurbhanj.
