Blame it on work pressure or faulty lifestyle, about 15,000 policemen in Bihar are either diabetic or suffering from high blood pressure. A good number of them are even prone to heart attack or impotency.
In an attempt to address the fitness issues of policemen, the department has asked officials in the rank of sub-inspectors and inspectors to attend yoga classes. Deputy inspector-general of police (Shahabad range) Sushil Khopde and Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Maharaj attended a yoga camp organised for the policemen at Dehri-on-Sone on Saturday.
More such camps are being planned as the number of lifestyle-related problems are on the rise among Bihar policemen. A random survey conducted by the Patna police hospital showed that about 1,500 policemen in Bihar have become either diabetic or are suffering from high blood pressure. The survey disclosed that 15 to 20 per cent of the state police force is suffering from these problems. At a medical check-up camp organised in the Gaya police lines in February this year (in collaboration with Indian Medical Association), 48 out of around 230 policemen were diagnosed as diabetic. In addition to this, 65 were found to be suffering from hypertension and high blood pressure.
Another medical camp organised at Kesaria in East Champaran district in June, found 19 policemen suffering from diabetes, while 17 others were found to be suffering from high blood pressure.
The chances of heart attack are more if people are found to be suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. Recently, B.D. Nigam, an inspector posted with the CID, died of heart attack soon after he returned from a morning stroll. The finding of the medical check-up camps organised in Masaurhi, Pali, Danapur and Barh in Patna rural were almost the same.
Former medical officer of Patna Police Hospital Parmeshwar Ojha, under whose supervision a number of medical camps were organised in Patna, said there has been an increase of about 1 to 1.5 per cent in the number of policemen suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure every year.
Dr Ojha said in 2001, when a medical camp was organised for the personnel of the Bihar Military Police in Muzaffarpur, only 10 per cent of the force was diagnosed as diabetic. Subsequently, the number rose to 15 per cent and now it has gone up to almost 20 per cent.
Dr D.K. Sahay, who was heading the medical team in Gaya, told The Telegraph the IMA has decided to renovate the police hospital at the Gaya police lines in view of the large number of policemen suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
"The IMA (Gaya unit) has been provided Rs 50,000 for the renovation work. In addition, the doctors who are attached with the association have been asked to render their service free of cost," he added.
