The Inspector-General of Police (IG) Solomon Arase yesterday said the Police was considering conducting psychiatric test on recruits and officers.
Arase spoke at the Nigeria Police Force Health Policy Revalidation meeting in Abuja yesterday.
He said the initiative became necessary following incidents of indiscriminate use of firearms by personnel of the force.
The IG said inadequate manpower had exposed officers to working for longer hours.
He said the force was also considering establishing a Trauma Centre for its officers because of the nature of their job.
“The Police should be concerned about the mental health of officers,” he said.
Arase had advised divisional police officers (DPOs) to always determine the mental awareness of officers before assigning firearms to them to curtail incidents of ‘accidental discharge`.
He said inadequate health workers, poor funding, infrastructure deficit and management deficiencies were challenges inhibiting the force’s medical unit.
Arase noted that to tackle these challenges, it was expedient to develop a health policy for the force.
“The development of any policy document entails an inclusive approach with relevant stakeholders.
“You have been invited here today to review the Draft Health Policy for the Nigeria Police Force,“he said.
Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole promised the ministry’s assistance in the implementation of the policy.
“We will assist in the implementation, we will ensure it happens,“Adewole said.
He hailed the police management for developing a health policy for its officers and their families.
Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Dr Abdulmumini Ibrahim said the policy was long overdue.
He said the council would help the police to build the capacity to handle the facility.
The Nigeria Police Medical Service was established in 1975 with the primary mandate of providing health care to serving, retired, relations of the force and detainees. – The Nation.
