DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin unveiled the state-of-the-art Femto-LASIK Suite at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral), Delhi Cantonment, marking a pivotal milestone in military healthcare. The advanced medical infrastructure will serve to reinforce the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) commitment to adopting world-class medical facilities to combat vision problems. The Femto-LASIK suite will be open for armed personnel and highlights the importance India places on medical modernization.
The formal inauguration by AFMS’s first-ever woman Director General is supposed to offer customized solutions for spectacle removal in young and middle-aged adults. It is a major advancement in managing refractive errors and corneal diseases, and reaffirms the Armed Forces’ commitment to world-class patient care. The inauguration was also attended by Lt Gen Sadhna S Nair, Director General, Medical Services (Army).
DG, Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin and DG, Medical Services (Army) Lt Gen Sadhna S Nair inaugurated a state-of-the-art Femto-LASIK Suite at Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi Cantt—AFMS’s apex centre. This cutting-edge laser tech offers customised… pic.twitter.com/Jq2JY49JWA
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) May 16, 2025
Femto-LASIK Suite: Pioneering Eye Care
The state-of-the-art LASIK Suite will introduce advanced femtosecond laser-assisted technology, allowing doctors a much more precise option to handle bladeless corrective procedures for refractive errors. The Suite will allow armed personnel and their dependents to receive world-class facilities at home. Another highlight of this medical technology is that, unlike traditional LASIK, it offers enhanced safety, a faster rate of recovery, and better visual output, making it very suitable for armed personnel who must meet stringent visual standards.
The Suite at the Army Hospital is also supposed to be the apex tertiary care facility in the country and will elevate the quality of ophthalmic care. As such, it is also supposed to handle tailored treatments for borderline refractive error cases and corneal pathologies. Going by the medical officials at the Army Hospital, the addition of this suite was long overdue. The officials stated that refractive error remains one of the most prevalent causes of medical downgrading in otherwise fit soldiers. So, the addition of the Femto-LASIK Suite will help retain troops much longer, improving the sustainability of the armed forces.
How AFMS Has Been Advancing Military Medicine
The recent inauguration of the Femto-LASIK Suite is part of a broader wave of innovation and capability enhancement within the Armed Forces Medical Services. It has made several accomplishments in recent years, such as:
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Launch of the MIRA Initiative (Medical Innovations and Research Advancement): AFMS, in partnership with iDEX-DIO, initiated the MIRA initiative to foster innovation in medical technologies to address the critical healthcare challenges faced by the Armed Forces
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Strategic Collaboration with NIMHANS: It also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, to provide quality mental health support and care for the Armed Forces.
DGAFMS: Army Hospital Committed to Medical Excellence
Army Hospital (R&R) is the cornerstone of high-end medical care for the Indian Armed Forces. The addition of the Femto-LASIK Suite will only serve to cement its position. Moreover, it aligns with AFMS’s vision of integrating global-level medical innovations into defense health services, thus ensuring not only superior healthcare for military personnel but also improving their combat efficiency and longer retention.
DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, addressing the nation, also emphasized AFMS’s strategic intent to “adopt technologies that deliver measurable health outcomes while keeping in mind the unique requirements of military personnel.” She also reiterated the Armed Forces’s broader vision to be at the frontier of military medical innovation and the nation’s commitment to developing advanced preventive healthcare systems.
Looking Forward
The inauguration of the Femto-LASIK Suite within the Armed Forces signals the continued modernization of defense healthcare in the country. It underscores the nation’s drive towards enhancing not only the treatment capabilities of the Armed forces medical services but also the overall health infrastructure of the defense forces.
