At least 345 Border Security Force personnel across the country suffer from HIV/AIDS, BSF inspector general Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, P K Mishra said.

The HIV/AIDS affected persons are allowed to continue in service, face no discrimination and are provided with medical care, Mishra told reporters during a BSF seminar in Guwahati on Friday.

The BSF, he said, took preventive measures in the catchment areas and also educated the locals about the dreaded disease.

Besides HIV/AIDS, 9235 border guards were affected by malaria in the North East region last year, Mishra said. Speaking about the prevalence of malaria among the security force personnel in the BSF, Director Medical, Inspector General R S Rathore said, last year the highest incidence of malaria was in Tripura with 6840 affected, followed by 1140 and one death in Assam and Meghalaya sector.

Malaria affected 1255 people and claimed two lives in Mizoram and Cachar sector. developed by the force's medical unit As a protection against malaria, Rathore said, the force's medical unit developed a special jungle hat with a net to help the BSF men cover their faces during operations.\

Asserting the BSF was the most organised sector in the field of health care in the region, BSF Medical IG, R P Joshi said the force had 60 doctors in its 50-bedded composite hospitals at Shillong, Aizwal and Agartala which provided medical care to both its personnel and local people.