At 14,000 ft, Army eye camp rewrites lives in Ladakh

Chandigarh: For 67-year-old Ghulam Haider from the remote village of Bogdang, access to specialised medical care had long remained out of reach. Living with complications of diabetes and hypertension in a far-flung border area of Nubra, advanced treatment was once a distant possibility. This week, he was among hundreds who received care at a high-altitude surgical eye camp organised by the Indian Army in Leh.The four-day camp, held from April 27 to 30 at 153 General Hospital under 'Op Netra 1.0', screened 950 patients across seven districts of Leh and Ladakh, according to a statement issued on Thursday. A team from Army hospital (research and referral) performed 214 specialised procedures, including 197 cataract surgeries and other advanced interventions. Officials said 15 patients who were completely blind had their vision restored.The scale of the effort was matched by the distances patients travelled. Many came from high-altitude frontier regions, including Chushul (14,200 ft), Hanle (14,760 ft) and Durbuk (12,470 ft), areas close to the Line of Actual Control. Others arrived from Demchok, Fukche and Drass near sensitive border zones, as well as Zanskar, Batalik, Chumathang and Turtuk, reflecting the reach of the camp into some of the most inaccessible parts of the Himalayas.The camp also introduced a digital system, 'Op Netra' app, to streamline patient registration and surgical scheduling, improving efficiency and accuracy.Supported by the Indian Air Force, which airlifted specialised medical equipment, the initiative is part of a wider outreach programme that has conducted over 2,500 eye surgeries across the country since Nov 2025. Officials said the effort aimed to extend specialised healthcare services to remote populations with limited access, particularly in high-altitude and border regions.
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