The Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu on Thursday in Abuja called on police officers, from 40 years and above to imbibe the culture of regular medical checkups.

Adamu made the call at the inauguration of a one-day workshop and 14-day cancer screening programme organised in partnership with an NGO, Stanley Medical Foundation for officers from 40 years and above.

He said the programme was part of efforts by the police management to improve the health and welfare of police personnel.

According to him, the exercise is to ensure their fitness in providing security in the country.

Adamu said the screening was free and encouraged officers to present themselves for the exercise.

“It is better to do the screening and discover you have it, then start necessary treatment than shying away from it,” he said.

He commended the NGO for the partnership to empower the police in the area of medical awareness, adding that the security of the country would not be effective without a healthy police organisation.

“The nature of the work we do requires that we do routine medical check to know our medical status.

“This will help to prevent some likely diseases that can bring us down and stop us from performing our duties.

“When we constantly check ourselves, we will be able to take preventive measures to ensure that the Federal Government investment in the police is not in vain.

“The idea is that if we allow diseases to bring us down, we will not be able to perform our duties and to forestall this; we already have the platform and capacity of checking ourselves.

“Within the police as an organisation, we have good medical section, equiped with modern facility to check, not only police personnel, but also, their families and the public,” he said.

According to him, for the police to improve on what they have, there is need to partner with other organisations to keep police officers fit.

In his remark, Dr Stanley Boniface, the Programme Facilitator, Stanley Medical Foundation, said prostate cancer was a major cause of death in recent times.

He said the reason was that, the people having it might not know until it gets to the advance stage.

Boniface called for increased awareness on the need for regular cancer screening in the country.

He urged police officers to take advantage of the 14-day screening exercise to improve their health. (NAN)