The call of duty comes first to a jawan. Whether he is at high altitudes where hypoxia (low oxygen pressure) is a common phenomenon or in a desert area where temperature shoots up to abnormal degrees or cold areas where it dips as low as to-60 degrees Celsius or other difficult micro environments such as engine room of a ship, and cockpit of an aircraft where he is exposed to factors like noise, vibrations, toxic fumes and ultra violet rays, the jawan performs his duties unmindful of the hardships. To lessen his hardships in extreme environment, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has evolved some breakthroughs.

DIPAS, set up in 1962, focuses on the difficulties those jawans who operate in adverse to environment. One of the major functions of DIPAS is to facilitate the acclimatisation of man in extreme environment and keep him fit and efficient and also to bring an effective man-machine interface. Through its R&D programmes, DIPAS has come out with few devices that would benefit the Armed Forces and also society at large.

Troops operating at high altitudes like Siachen and Kargil sectors may fail to acclimatise to the surrounding environment and develop high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). This condition is characterized by accumulation of fluid inside the lungs. Until now, those who developed this symptom were given conventional medical treatment like administration of oxygen. Now, DIPAS, in association with High Altitude Medical Research Centre (HAMRC), developed a new treatment modality using inhalation of gas mixture containing nitric oxide (15 ppm) and oxygen (50%). Through clinical and field tests, DIPAS administered this treatment modality on 85 patients and found out that HAPE patients treated with this gas mixture recovered within 24 hours. This treatment modality has been developed for the first time in the world.

In another study, DIPAS found that composite Indian herbal preparations (CIHP) like panax ginseng, ginko biloba, ashwagandha, tulsi and brahmi are beneficial to soldiers deployed in adverse terrains. The CIHP-1 has been tried on BSF soldiers and it has been found effective in coping with stress troops undergo in anti-insurgency areas. The results of the trials also indicated that the
CIHP-1 intake also helps to cure high altitude maladies. Around 4000 soldiers stationed in Siachen are being given these adaptogens. Now CIHP II is being administered to troops deployed between 4800-6000 m altitude. As per the results, the incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) was reduced and normal biological functions were restored in those soldiers who were on CIHP-II.

DIPAS finds that yoga has the potentiality of keeping a person fit both physically and mentally in any type of extreme environment. As the adverse terrains do not permit jawans to perform their regular exercises and drill, the practice of yogic asanas helps them to enhance their performance. Based on the results of a series of studies, recommendations have been made by DIPAS to introduce yogic exercises in selected areas of critical operations in the Armed Forces. Practice of yoga continuously for six months is essential to get the results.

Cold injuries is another malady affecting the jawans in the extreme cold environment. Frostbite is one of the severest forms of cold injuries which may result in amputation of the affected part of the body, normally hands, face or legs. DIPAS demonstrated the usefulness of allopathic medicines such as pentoxiphyllin, aspirin and vitamin C in the treatment of cold injuries and also in rewarming the affected area using tea decoction at a temperature varying from 37 to 41 degrees Celsius.

DIPAS has found that the herbal extract of aloe vera can be applied on the affected area to facilitate fast recovery. The clinical trials carried on more than 250 jawans suffering from cold injuries showed that this herbal extract reduces pain, swelling of the affected area and also prevents infection through its anti-biotic effects.

Another achievement of DIPAS is development of cooling garments for troops operating in high temperature areas. A constant exposure to severe heat leads to loss of body water which in turn causes dehydration. This situation becomes life threatening if the rise in body temperature is not controlled immediately.

DIPAS, in collaboration with DEBEL, Bangalore and MECON, Ranchi developed a cooling garment. It contains a solid state cooling unit which has been integrated with liquid cooled suit embedded with thin silicon tubing in its interior. The cooling unit continuously cools about 600 ml water that is circulated with the help of a micro pump through the suit tubing which is inlaid in the garment. This system takes care of the entire metabolic heat as well as heat received from the hot environment. With this suit, the user feels comfortable and can withstand high temperature outside. The suit is useful for the crew in armoured vehicles and cockpit of an aircraft. This system has been tested successfully on the crew compartment of T-72 and Arjuna tanks at CVRDE, Chennai.