To keep cops hale & hearty, Thane police launch fitness seminars
Similar seminars will be held for personnel in other parts of the Thane Police Commissionerate, including Kalyan and Dombivali.
The first three-day seminar was held between May 10 and 12 at the Thane Police Hospital, which was attended by over 300 police personnel, and it included discussions on common health problems.
The Thane police have launched a series of seminars aimed at getting an overview of the health scenario of its 9,000-strong force. Senior police officers said that at the end of the exercise, they would compile statistics of different ailments the Thane police personnel suffered from, following which remedial measures and practical fitness tips would be recommended.
The first three-day seminar was held between May 10 and 12 at the Thane Police Hospital, which was attended by over 300 police personnel, and it included discussions on common health problems. A check-up was held on Sunday for officers posted in Thane city. From next week, similar seminars will be held for personnel in other parts of the Thane Police Commissionerate, including Kalyan, Dombivali and Ulhasnagar, the police said.
“After the entire force is covered, we will collate all the health records and then have an idea of the fitness level in the force. Once we know the diseases that are most prevalent in the force, we will formulate our plan to tackle them,” said Ravinder Kumar Singal, Additional Commissioner of Police (crime).
He added that it was important for personnel across ranks had access to health facilities. “Senior officers get themselves checked regularly, but lower rank officers cannot do so often. It is our responsibility to ensure that they at least have the facilities. Eventually, the programme will also be expanded to include families of police personnel,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) Balasaheb Patil said obesity and heart ailments affected his personnel the most. “When some of them are hospitalised following discomfort, heart ailments are found to be the most common reason. A few officers have also suffered heart attacks this year,” Patil said.
The first seminar had nutritionists from Amway India speak to the police personnel regarding the right time and frequency of meals. A panel of doctors also conducted health check-up during the seminar. During the health check-up, the attendees underwent a number of common tests to gauge their health. “We were all tested for body mass index, blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes. At the end of the check-up, a diet plan was prepared for each of us,” said Police Inspector Madan Ballal with the Thane police’s anti human trafficking unit.
Over the three days, the experts spoke about healthy eating habits and the need to follow a balanced diet. “While on bandobast duty, our officers eat whatever they find. They hardly get time to take care of their health. Even the traffic police personnel are out on the roads all day and exposed to pollution. We will now ensure that the personnel are tested regularly,” Singal added.
srinath.rao@expressindia.com
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