Besides, doctors and para-medicos of the Army Medical Corps (AMC) are also being trained to combat chemical weapons and destructive items like nerve gas used by some doomsday sect in Tokyo subways some time back, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, Lt Gen R Jayaswal, told reporters here.

``AMC personnel are being trained to handle immediate blast effect as also long-term effects of radiation,'' he said on the eve of the 235th AMC raising day. Officers were being trained in India and abroad in coordination with the College of Military Engineering, Department of Science and Technology, National Institute of Cell Science on aspects like prevention and decontamination, Lt Gen Jayaswal said.

He said there was anincrease in incidence of disability caused by anti-personnel landmines used by militants, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and that the Army is focussing on health education and attitudinal change to prevent the spread of AIDS among personnel, particularly those deployed in the north-east.

The Army was also keen to gain from the experience of countries like Russia, where the Chernobyl accident had taken place, the AMC chief said, adding, officers were being sent abroad for training.

The AMC, in association with the Defence Electro-medical Bio-engineering Labs was preparing prototypes of carbon fibre limbs for personnel who got crippled by mines and once the field trials get over they would be produced for mass distribution, Lt Gen Jayaswal said.

While declining to give the exact number of Army personnel detected as HIV positive cases, Lt Gen Jayaswal said the figures were comparatively less than that of the US or Thai armies. Heterosexual liasions, particularly in the north-east and Maharashtraregions, were responsible for most of the HIV positive cases and Army was educating the jawans through educational films and a commander's handbook on AIDS, he said.

On the incidents of depression reported among personnel deployed in the forward areas, he said the AMC in association with the Defence Institute of Psychological Research had come up with a yoga therapy and herbal drug to help officers and jawans combat stress and depression.

The theme of the AMC's celebrations next year would be ``to ameliorate the sufferings and bring back smile on the face of our patients,'' he said.