Traffic police personnel in Coimbatore are reportedly facing increased risks of varicose veins and other leg-related health problems as their duties increasingly require them to stand on roads for eight to 12 hours, according to a report by Dinamalar. The report attributes the concerns to traffic police personnel and says that earlier studies in Chennai and Madurai had also found a higher incidence of varicose veins among traffic police officers.
The report says traffic police in the city previously worked in an eight-hour rotation, with four hours of duty followed by a short break and another four-hour shift. It states that, for various reasons, personnel are now often required to remain standing continuously for extended periods while managing traffic.
The symptoms described in the report include leg pain, swelling, a feeling of heaviness and enlarged veins visible beneath the skin. These can be associated with varicose veins, although the report does not provide medical records, the names of treating doctors or details of the studies cited from Chennai and Madurai.
Traffic police personnel quoted anonymously in the report said they now commonly spend between eight and 12 hours standing during duty. They also said that facilities such as shade umbrellas and dedicated hats had been available earlier but were no longer adequate. The report does not specify the number of personnel covered by these accounts or whether the stated working hours apply uniformly across Coimbatore.
The concerns point to a wider occupational-health question within city traffic management. Traffic police work is conducted in exposed roadside environments, where personnel must remain visible and continuously respond to vehicle movement, junction congestion and changing road conditions. The report, however, does not establish how duty rosters, break schedules or roadside facilities are currently administered by the Coimbatore City Police.
The personnel quoted by Dinamalar further alleged that complaints about varicose veins and other work-related health conditions do not receive adequate attention. They said monthly medical examinations are conducted largely as a formality and do not include separate screening for conditions associated with prolonged standing. They also claimed that even when other health problems are detected, obtaining immediate leave for treatment can be difficult.
The report attributes these accounts to traffic police personnel but does not include a response from the Coimbatore City Police, the Tamil Nadu Police department or a medical authority. It also does not provide official data on the number of traffic police personnel diagnosed with varicose veins, the availability of shade and rest facilities, or the duration of current duty shifts.
The report says the police department is under the direct control of the state police leadership and suggests that district-level assessments could establish how many personnel show symptoms or have been diagnosed with the condition. Such an assessment, along with identifiable details of the Chennai and Madurai studies cited in the report, would be necessary to determine the scale of the problem and whether it is linked to changes in duty patterns.
Until those records and responses are available, the reported health concerns remain claims requiring verification. The immediate questions for the police administration are whether traffic personnel have scheduled rest periods, whether roadside shade and protective equipment meet current needs, and whether occupational-health screenings specifically cover prolonged standing-related conditions.
