Raksha Mantri lays foundation stones of Ophthalmology, Oncology & Joint Replacement Centres

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh today laid the foundation stones of Ophthalmology, Oncology and Joint Replacement Centres at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) and new infrastructure at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt as part of the 262nd Army Medical Corps Raising Day celebrations.

The state-of-the-art facilities at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) are envisaged to significantly enhance the tertiary care capabilities of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), particularly in the domains of advanced eye care, cancer treatment, and complex joint replacement surgeries, while the new hospital infrastructure at Base Hospital is being developed with a capacity of 998 beds along with an additional 100 crisis expansion beds, to address routine and emergency healthcare requirements of the Defence Forces personnel .

In his address, Raksha Mantri underlined the importance of continued innovation, capacity building, and integration of modern technologies to meet the emerging challenges in military medicine. He exuded confidence that the new facilities, equipped with modern technologies and infrastructure, will provide quality medical care to the serving personnel, veterans & their dependents.

Shri Rajnath Singh commended the dedication, professionalism, and compassion of the AFMS personnel for rendering services to every nook and corner of the country, from towering mountains to inaccessible forests, from times of peace to moments of disaster. He appreciated them for organising medical camps across the country and neighboring nations, including Nepal, while specially mentioning the successful conduct of glaucoma surgeries and eye care services. “Such initiatives strengthen our ties with friendly nations while simultaneously bringing about positive transformations in the lives of people. Your services have emerged as a powerful testament to India’s ‘soft power’,” he said.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, DG AFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, and other senior officers attended the event.(UPDATED ON 6TH APRIL 2026)