Indian Army Conducts Successful Mega Eye Camp in Bengdubi, Restores Vision for Nepalese and Indian Nationals

Nepalese nationals, including civilians and veterans, receive eye treatment during the mega eye camp organized by the Indian Army in Bengdubi.

Indian Army eye surgeons treated at least 29 Nepalese nationals, including 17 civilians from Sunsari district's Dharan, during a four-day mega eye camp organized at the 158 Base Hospital in Bengdubi, near Bagdogra. The camp, which was organized by the Eastern Command under the Trishakti Corps, was led by a team of ophthalmologists who had come from Delhi and Lucknow to perform free eye surgeries on the needy.

A total of 354 surgical operations were conducted, five of which were minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. The camp was part of a continuous program to cater to local communities and enhance relations with neighboring nations such as Nepal.

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More than 1,700 patients visited the outpatient department (OPD) for the event, of which over 20% needed surgeries for ailments like cataracts and glaucoma, said Brigadier Sanjay Mishra, PVSM, of Army Hospital Research and Referral (RR), New Delhi, who headed the surgery team.

Brigadier Mishra pointed out that the camp not only served many Indian patients from states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim but also made a major contribution to treating Nepalese nationals.

"In a goodwill gesture to improve ties with our Himalayan neighbor, 29 Nepalese nationals, 17 of them civilians and veterans, drove more than 100 kilometers to Bagdogra for treatment," he said.

The surgical team consisted of Lt Col Ravi Chauhan, Lt Col Ishan Aggarwal (Command Hospital Lucknow), Major Amrita Joshi, Major Rolli Khurana (158 Base Hospital), and seven resident doctors.

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The team also operated on patients like 97-year-old Lucas Toppo, whose eyesight was restored successfully during the camp.

Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, commended the team efforts and success of the programme.

This eye camp is one of a series of successful eye camps that have been organized by the medical teams of the Indian Army since December 2024. Earlier, eye camps were organized in Dehradun (December 2024) and Jaipur (February 2025).

The effort is intended to benefit veterans, their families, and the local population through specialized medical care.

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The proposal for the Bengdubi eye camp was initiated after the request of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi to organize an eye camp for veterans in the area.

The region, which comprises around 96,000 ex-servicemen and their dependents, has reaped a lot from these relief efforts.