Varicose veins ails senior traffic police personnel

PANJIM, OCT 14
Manning the increasing chaotic vehicular traffic flow is indeed not an easy task and moreover when it has to be performed tolerating all weather conditions.
Physical stress is more common among the traffic squad and if neglected it could lead to acute problems.
Goa Traffic police are prone to chronic venous disease and varicose veins ailment as they stand on the roadside for longer time, at times without enough water.
The medical practitioners attending these cops in white and blue uniform say that many traffic personnel who are on the verge of retirement face this problem.
“Earlier they kept on neglecting symptoms of varicose veins, which starts with symptoms like blood pooling in the legs that can cause swelling and pains,” Police Medical Officer (PMO) Dr Kalpana Mahatme said.
 The problem, she said, is though not much prevalent amongst the younger cops as they are health conscious and consult doctors even after small neck or leg pain.
The PMO does handle one to two varicose veins cases among personnel over 45 years of age. “They neglected the symptoms in the early stage,” she added.
Varicose veins are basically a long term lifestyle ailment that involves presumptive treatment or fixing compression bandages to relive the pain. Dr Mahatme said a patient has to regularly visit a doctor and get treatment to prevent the ailment from growing into serious ulcers.
“I myself have come across such cases amongst Goa Police,” she said adding that the instances of varicose veins are on rise during summer season. She receives around 4 to 5 such cases, every fortnight during the sunny season.
“The cases of ulcer are rare and they are treated either at clinic or in some extreme cases are referred to Goa medical college,” she said.
The younger generation seems to have remained much away although Dr Mahatme treating them has come across the instances of leg paining and oedema of ankle.
Knowing that such instances can partially cripple state’s law enforcing force, Goa police have distributed pamphlets amongst the cadre in Hindi.
“We usually ask them not to have hot water bath, spray cold water on their legs, exercise and massage the legs in upwards direction for proper blood flow and other precautions,” she said.
Goa has 273 traffic police who are overburdened with the work. Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Arvind Gawas said that the recruitment for more policemen is in the process. “Additional force of 157 policemen is already sanctioned,” he said adding that the manpower availability considering the traffic load is less.
“They usually have to work in two shifts. The first shift starts at 7 am to 2 pm and second 2 pm to 9 pm,” the SP said.