'We have been severely hit with this problem, so we decided to set up our own medical institute on par with the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), where students are asked to sign a mandatory bond of serving the nation for at least 15 years,' he added.

Of the paramilitary forces, the BSF is stationed at the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the CRFP is tasked to help state police forces across the country and the CISF guards vital installations.

The ITBP is deployed along the India-China border, the SSB not only guards the India-Nepal border but also fights Maoists. The NSG is called out to tackle incidents like the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

At present, the combined strength of all the paramilitary forces is around 600,000. And the government has decided to raise their strength and asked each of the forces to brace to join the fight against Maoists active in several states.

A senior paramilitary official tackling the Maoist problem told IANS on condition of anonymity that most of the casualties occur due to delay in treatment.

'It's a bitter truth that many of our injured men, fighting Maoists and unwanted elements, die due to excessive blood loss on road to the primary treatment centre. It usually takes one-two hours to take the injured to hospital. Many lives can easily be saved if immediate treatment can be administered to them near the ambush site by doctors,' the official said.

'But no one wants to risk their lives. So there is no other option except to rush the injured troopers to hospital, which results in loss of crucial time,' he added.