Counselling course for staff of Andaman & Nicobar Command

Port Blair, Sep 20 (UNI) Andaman and Nicobar Command today organised a counselling course for stress-related illness for its junior leaders at Port Blair as a part of preventive mental health programme.

Surg Cdr KK Mishra, senior psychiatrist from the prestigious Naval Hospital, INHS Asvini at Mumbai, is conducting the course which aims at prevention, early identification and timely management of stress related illness.

The course is aimed at the young officers and junior commissioned officers who deal with the rest of the serving personnel on a day to day basis. The course will be followed by similar short capsule courses for the personnel in the Southern Group of Islands, Lieutenant A Vidyasagar, Public Relation Officer (incharge) of Andaman and Nicobar Command said here today.

Rear Admiral Nair emphasised the importance of conducting such courses for the Armed Force Personnel posted in these remote Islands.

''Stress is now an integral part of our lives. Multiple stress related illnesses like depression and suicide are being encountered increasingly among the Armed Forces personnel and this course should address issues and result in a heightened awareness of these problems,'' he said.

Andaman and Nicobar Command is India's first tri-service joint command set up six years ago to control the startegically located Andaman and Nicobar islands in a better way.

UNI