Family problems force Armymen to commit suicide: DGAFMS

Kochi, Oct 26 (UNI) Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Surgeon Vice Admiral V K Singh today attributed ''family problems'' as the key reason for the suicide by personnel in the Armed Forces.

Addressing mediapersons here, Mr Singh said most of the personnel take the extreme step generated from family and societal stress after re-joining duty from a hiatus.

He said the serivcemen face a constant ''mental trauma'' resulting from the guilt that their families were not taken care of properly, forcing them to take drastic steps.

The Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) has taken the matter into active consideration and were chalking out psychiatric programmes in terms of counselling and other means to solve the issue, he said.

Dr Singh said the HIV prevention and treatment programme of AFMS has helped to mellow down the number of HIV patients from 300 in 2000 to 32 in 2006.

He said the Armed Forces were planning to conduct pre-induction tests to detect HIV in future aspirants.

The AFMS was also conducting AIDS awareness programmes for the servicemen through documentaries and open discussions.

He said two more centres for cardiac and cancer treatment would be opened in INHS Sanjivani in the future.

UNI MA VR KD DS1535