Indian Army Restores Vision for 29 Nepali Nationals at Mega Eye Camp in Bagdogra

At least 29 Nepali nationals, including 17 civilians from Dharan, Sunsari district of Koshi Province, had their vision restored by a team of Indian Army eye surgeons during a mega eye camp held at the 158 Base Hospital, Bengdubi, near Bagdogra airport.

The four-day eye camp, organized under the Trishakti Corps of the Eastern Command, saw a total of 354 surgical procedures, including five minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries. The medical team, consisting of specialists from Delhi and Lucknow, attended over 1,700 outpatient consultations. More than 20 percent of these patients required surgeries for various eye conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.

Brigadier Sanjay Mishra, PVSM, from Army Hospital Research and Referral (RR), New Delhi, led the team. Speaking about the camp, Brigadier Mishra stated, “As a goodwill gesture and to strengthen our cordial relationship with our Himalayan neighbor, we assisted 29 Nepali nationals in restoring their vision. Among them were 17 civilians and the rest were veterans.”

#IndianArmy #EasternCommand#WeCare#SevaParmoDharma#ServingThoseWhoServed #IndianArmedForces

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭…

Under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment, #TrishaktiCorps of #EasternCommand is conducting a Cataract… pic.twitter.com/HRETr2bjLC

— EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) March 21, 2025

Patients attended the camp from various regions, including Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Nepal. Among the patients was 97-year-old Lucas Toppo, whose vision was restored by the ophthalmology team, which included Lt Col Ravi Chauhan, Lt Col Ishan Aggarwal (Command Hospital, Lucknow), Major Amrita Joshi, Major Rolli Khurana (158 Base Hospital), and seven resident doctors.

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

This eye camp marks the third successful initiative by the Indian Army since December 2024, following similar camps in Dehradun and Jaipur. The camp in Bengdubi was organized following a request from West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, given the significant presence of approximately 96,000 ex-servicemen and their dependents in the region.

This initiative highlights the Indian Army’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian efforts and fostering stronger ties with neighboring Nepal.