New Delhi: Worried by increasing number of fratricidal killings and suicides, Army plans to recruit 400 psychiatrists to cope with stress within its ranks.
The Army has been affected by a string of fratricidal killings and suicides in recent months and a majority of such incidents were blamed on stress associated with serving in insurgency-affected areas like Jammu and Kashmir.
"We have sent a proposal for recruiting 400 psychiatrists of officer rank so that senior officers can also approach them," as quoted by PTI, Vice Admiral V K Singh, Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Service said on the eve of the Army Medical Corps' Foundation Day.
Singh agreed that the "suicides were linked to stress" but said the "morale of Army officers is high".
He said the psychiatrists, who would be from a civilian background, would be able to assess the behaviour of persons and could stop any suicidal trends.
Singh cited "family problems" to be a major cause driving personnel to commit suicide. This was followed by "Army life", he said.
Some personnel decide to "end their lives when they visit their family and find them having difficulties in life". "It is not the service conditions that make them do it," he said.
Explaining that stress among officers was "not high", Singh said, "Whatever the rate we want to bring the number down to zero."
The "strong medical check-up" system for Army officers ensures there are no high incidences of diabetes and hypertension. "These luxury-related diseases kill the man. It is a rich man's disease," he said.
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