Chandigarh, February 26: Since the health and wellbeing ofthe police personnel remains a top priority, the Punjab Police has decided toestablish Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) for the Police force in all thedistricts, including the three Commissionerate Police (CPs) in the state. TheCentres are also proposed be set up in all the Armed Police and Police TrainingCentres.
The HWC will have facilities, including indoor gym, outdoorgym, space for meditation and yoga, physiotherapy centre and Counselling roomto provide counselling and appropriate interventions to focus on the health andwellness for the cops.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta,divulging the details, said that the pressures of job and stressful workingconditions of Police leads to fatigue, trauma and stress, among which couldlead to serious health issues.
“Health and Wellness Centres will encourage the policepersonnel to focus and attend to their physical and mental fitness and providethe necessary interventions to bring the required change in their overallhealth and wellbeing,” he said.
In the first phase, an amount of Rs 2.97 crores from Welfarehead of the budget has already been given to 15 districts, including CPLudhiana and CP Amritsar to establish HWCs, the DGP said adding that majorityof centres including in CP Amritsar and districts Patiala, Tarn Taran, Mansaand Pathankot are almost ready and expected to get functional by mid Marchwhile construction work at the remaining centres are going on.
He said that in the second phase, funds will be disbursedamong the remaining districts, Armed Police and Police Training Centres toestablish such centres.
DGP Dinkar Gupta further said that an amount of Rs 2 lakhannually has also been earmarked to each district from the next financial yearunder the head welfare of police personnel to conduct to Health and Wellnessprograms.
The five-seven days health and wellness programs will beconducted at the Health and Wellness Centres by health professionals includingpsychologists who will recommend physical exercise, diet advice, counselling tobring necessary life-style changes in the cops for better health, said the DGPadding that the Physiotherapy centres will provide facilities to the cops, whoare suffering from age related minor pain and aches in knees, joints, back etc.
ADGP Welfare V Neeraja said that instructions had beenissued to all the Commissioner of Police (CPs) and Senior Superintendent ofPolice (SSPs) to constitute a Committee with the SP headquarters and medicalofficer to identify cops, who require to undergo health and wellness program.The committee will also design and conduct monthly Health and Wellness programsas suitable to the cops besides ensuring all the Police personnel posted in adistrict get an opportunity to attend the program at least once a year, shesaid.
Meanwhile, the DGP has expressed hope that the HWCs will beable to nudge the cops in adapting to a healthy lifestyle and ensure earlyinterventions in preventing various life-style diseases.