Under pressure to do something about the spiralling suicide rate, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said a multi-sectoral approach is needed to tackle the social scourge.
At the time the health minister was meeting with the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud and Guyana’s chief psychiatrist Bhiro Harry at his Brickdam Office, discussing the issue of “mental health”.
A mere 15 days into the new year, about 20 persons have already committed suicide while several others are recovering after failed attempts.
According to the health minister, suicide is not only a mental health problem, but a cultural issue as well.
Collaboration
Moving forward, he said, the Health Ministry will be working closely with the human services, education and home affairs ministries, along with non-governmental organisations to reduce the instances of suicide.
Persaud, for his part, said Guyana has a high suicide rate, noting that while many females attempt suicide, males are most times successful in executing the act.
At this point in time, Dr Persaud said the ministry is strengthening the “Gate Keepers Programme” to build capacity among faith-based organisations, sport organisation, commercial entities and support groups in communities countrywide, with major emphasis placed on suicide-prone communities.
He said the ministry will continue to equip persons with the requisite skills and knowledge needed to identify depression and offer counselling to persons who are at risk of committing suicide.
He said last year, the Gate Keepers Programme focused on Regions Three and Six, in addition to communities along East Coast Demerara, positing that major emphasis was placed on males.
The Gate Keepers Programme was established by former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
Currently, the Health Ministry is developing guidelines to suicide prevention with attention being given to reintegration of victims into society.
Chief psychiatrist Harry said “suicide prevention is everybody’s business”, hence, all should play apart in reducing the number of cases in the country.
Indian Arrival Committee
Meanwhile, the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) in a release on Sunday said it was “extremely perturbed over the incidents of suicide”.
According to the IAC, suicide seems more prevalent in the East Berbice region over the past weeks.
“The IAC believes this warrants interventions of national magnitude and calls on the authorities to declare the current situation of suicide a national priority.
“The IAC believes that despite some mechanisms to provide assistance, there has been a deficiency in this regard by public entities and private organisations,” the release said.
Last Monday, Toneisha Edwards, 19, a student of the University of Guyana, succumbed at the New Amsterdam Hospital after drinking gramoxone on Old Year’s Day.
Two days later, Nandranie Oudit, 32, of Number 68 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, died at the Skeldon Public Hospital after ingesting a poisonous substance. She committed suicide five weeks after her 16-year-old son killed himself over a sour love affair.
He was a third form student at the Tagore Memorial High School. Oudit’s father and sister had also committed suicide some years ago, reports indicate.
On Saturday, 15-year-old Leah Grant, a student of the Brickdam Secondary School, died at the Georgetown Public Hospital after ingesting a poisonous substance at school on Friday. Several other persons have reportedly attempted to take their lives since the start of the year.
