Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Every year, about 400 police personnel from the state die in harness and in most of the cases the culprit is a heart attack, said officials here on Friday. Heavy work pressure is taking a toll on the health of the cops.
According to police officials, it is generally presumed that police personnel are fitter than others because they are physically active, morning PT sessions are compulsory for them and because fitness is one of their job requirements. It is also believed that they are punished if they are not fit. But the reality is that police personnel are working under immense pressure, with no time for exercise. They are working for more than 14 hours a day and importantly without a weekly off.
Talking about the weekly off, a senior PHQ official said, “Theoretically, everyone is entitled to a weekly off, but in practice no one gets it. Police personnel are granted leave only in case of health or other emergencies pertaining to them or their immediate family," he said.
They invariably get addicted to liquor and tobacco to release their mental pressure, which again hurts their health. Cops are dying because of heart-related complication, diabetes, kidney failure, brain haemorrhage, liver problem and few more. He added that more than 50 personnel had died in road accidents.
Causes
15% deaths due to heart attack. Cancer is responsible for 8% deaths followed by kidney failure (4%),
15% heart attack
8% Cancer
4% kidney failure
The victims
In some districts of the state, the number of deaths of cops in district force (DF) and special armed force (SAF) is considerably higher. In last 2 years, 45 police personnel died in Jabalpur. Thirty-three of them were in District Force and 12 in 6th battalion of the SAF, stationed in Jabalpur. Below are details.
Deaths
*DF stands for district force , SAF stands for Special armed force
In 14th SAF Dhar -12, DF:14
In Chhindwara DF: 14 and in SAF: 14
10th SAF Sagar: 10,
Khargone DF: 12
Rajgarh DF: 10
23rd SAF Bhopal: 10
Bhopal Radio:10
Khandwa DF: 12
Bhind DF: 12
Narsinghpur DF:9
Shivpuri 18th SAF: 9
