Unmasking the health problems faced by the police personnel

• Main Author: G.Jahnavi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Makhdoomi Printers 2012-01-01
• Series: Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health
• Subjects: olice personnel; law enforcement; stress
• Online Access: http://gjmedph.com/uploads/O12-Vo1No5.pdf

Aim: To assess the health problems of the police personnel under Vijayawada police commisionerate 2. To make the health check ups regular and 3. To make the physical fitness programme mandatory for them.Study design: cross sectional study Methodology: Health check up was done for 617 police personnel from 12.11.09 to 4.12.09. In the morning hours, a group of junior doctors, paramedical staff and technicians visited the police dispensary to do the general check up, take blood samples and ECG. The following afternoon a group of specialists visited to check the same patients along with their reports to make the final diagnosis.Results: Out of 617 police personnel 259 (42%) were overweight/obese, lack of physical activity was found in 397 (64%) of them, alcohol consumption was present in 148 (24%) and smoking in 136 (22%) of the police personnel. Diabetes was diagnosed in 229 (37%) and hypertension in 203 (33%). Anemia was detected in 154 (25%), visual abnormalities in 59 (10%), lipid abnormalities in 185 (30%), liver function test abnormalities in 31 (5%), ECG abnormalities in 25 (4%), renal function abnormalities in 6 (1%). Conclusion: A Physical fitness Schedule along with Stress alleviation techniques to be made mandatory for the police personnel to keep them physically and mentally fit, to perform critical job functions, to alleviate stress, and to improve their quality of life. Routine health checkups should be done to detect lurking dangers.