June 23 | The Citizen
NEW DELHI: The health of police officials has been under scrutiny for a long period of time. Physical fitness is given the utmost priority as a condition to enter the service. But clearly the parameters required to ensure they remain fit after joining the police are faulty...
The unhealthy lifestyle of the police force is proving a liability for the country. Questioning the system, Maja Daruwala, Senior Advisor of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and a known expert on police reforms told The Citizen, that ill health in the police was not new, well known with considerable study and reports behind it. “The question is why it s not being addressed in a systemic way?” she said.
Talking about how vast the problem is Maja Daruwala said “Regular medical check-ups may help but it is not the answer nor occasionally taking disciplinary action. All that is ad hoc responsibility. What is needed is for the supervisory officers to design systems that take much better care for their men.” She pointed out that the question was no longer about just the male cops, as “there is a growing number of women in the police now.”