Patna, Aug. 11: Men in uniform in the state seem to be under a lot of stress nowadays, which is taking a heavy toll on their health.

Umesh Singh, an inspector posted in Siwan district, died in February this year after he suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. Rajkumar Ram, a sub-inspector with Government Railway Police posted in Muzaffarpur district, suffered the same predicament in April this year and died. Another sub-inspector, Ram Awadh Singh, posted at Kotwali police station in the state capital suffered a massive cardiac arrest in April and died even before he could be rushed to hospital.

These examples are just a few among many.

A stressful and irregular lifestyle resulting from a severe shortage of men in the Bihar police force are making the officers, as well as the constabulary, susceptible to several forms of lifestyle ailments. With the state government having no concrete plan to take care of them, the force seems to be succumbing to the pressure.

Though a doctor at the Police Hospital in Patna, on the condition of anonymity, singled out back problem as the most common ailment troubling the men in uniform than anything, sources said everyday, constables turned up with problems related to blood pressure and breathlessness among others.

“At times, many policemen complain about irregular blood pressure and even hypertension. There are diabetic cases too, which is clearly a lifestyle disease. The personnel describe their hard and stressful duty, lack of sleep and bad eating habits. Some cases of alcoholism also come,” a source in the Police Hospital said.

At present, the police-public ratio in Bihar rests at 69 policemen against an average of a lakh, the lowest in the country. The national average is 143 policemen against a population of a lakh. The international average calls for 222 policemen for every lakh. In May, the Patna police mulled about starting yoga sessions for their personnel to help beat stress.

“Things are being worked out in this connection. The fact that the police here have to work under a lot of stress is not unknown. On an average, a policeman works not less than 18 hours a day. And they have to do many things together, right from crime control to looking after law and order to taking care of the accidents and other incidents, looking after files, writing case diaries among other things. The condition of the constabulary is even worse. Most of them are away from home and hence, irregular lifestyle and bad eating habits makes them susceptible to diseases,” superintendent of police, Patna Central, Shivdeep Lande, said. When asked, a sub-inspector posted a Patna police station agreed. “People talk about human rights all the time. We have become the worst victims of human rights violation nowadays.”

Director-general of police Neel Mani admitted the fact. “The government has announced recruitment of 45,000 constables and 5,000 inspectors in a span of five years. It is in process and the recruitments are on at present. Once it is done, things will get back to shape.”