The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) much-publicised drive to check the psychiatric condition of its drivers, announced soon after MSRTC driver Santosh Mane went on a rampage on Pune roads, was launched on Saturday.
However, the first day of the drive saw only one doctor carrying out checks of 12 of the 597 drivers attached with the three state transport (ST) depots in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas.
The Mane episode shifted focus on the stress levels and working conditions of the ST drivers, who shoulder the responsibility 40-50 passengers.
After Mane mowed down eight people in a hijacked bus on January 25, the managing director of MSRTC, Deepak Kapoor, had announced that the transport utility will conduct medical checks of all its 41,000 drivers across the state.
In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the MSRTC has 597 drivers attached with Shivajinagar, Swargate and Pimpri-Chinchwad depots. Of these, only 12 drivers were examined on Saturday.
In Pune, there is only one honorary medical officer with the MSRTC, who will examine all the drivers from the three depots in the city.
Vijay Divate, senior depot manager of the Swargate depot, said, “Medical checks of the drivers in Pune are supposed to be completed in 10 days. The Swargate depot has 217 drivers out of which 12 underwent medical checks on Saturday. We are focusing on the stress levels of these drivers, and if the reports show that they are under a lot of stress, then they will be provided with further medical assistance.”
Dr Anita Joshi, who is carrying out the medical checks on drivers in Pune, said, “I am focusing on the stress level of these drivers. I am checking their blood pressure level and sugar level. Apart from that, records of past medical history of these drivers are also being studied to determine the stress levels.”
However, psychiatrists feel that more tests should be conducted by the MSRTC to determine the level of mental stress the drivers undergo.
Noted psychiatrist, Dr Hemant Chandorkar, said, “What the MSRTC is doing is a classic knee-jerk reaction. Screening such a large number of people for signs of mental illness or any disturbance is not easy. Checking a person’s blood pressure or sugar levels will not help in detecting mental stress. A panel of eminent psychiatrists should be consulted and psychometric tests through questionnaire should be conducted. Answers to the questions can give an indication of stress levels. Those showing signs of high stress levels can be sent for detailed examination.”
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