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Eight suicides a day: More counselling centres in hospitals
View(s):With Sri Lanka joining the world to mark Suicide Prevention Day today, the Health Ministry is to broadbase its counselling services in hospitals, especially for youth. Though the annual suicide toll has been more than halved during the past two decades in Sri Lanka, still it averages eight suicides a day.
The Ministry’s Mental Health Director Dr. Chithramalee de Silva told the Sunday Times at present only 25 youth friendly health centres “Yovun Piyasa” were functioning in hospitals islandwide. The ministry wanted to counsel youth on how to deal with stress, think positively and act to build their youthful skills, she explained. “Suicides can be prevented. We need to create a proper awareness and positive thinking.” According to the Police, 2,389 males and 669 females committed suicide in 2015 while last year, 2,339 males and 686 females took their lives.
During the first six months of this year, 1,275 males and 322 females have committed suicide. The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board Chairman Ravindra Fernando, an emeritus professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the University of Colombo, said Sri Lanka’s suicide toll in 1995 had been as high as 8,500. But by 2005, the number had halved and in 2016, it was 3,025. Of them, 873 committed suicide by swallowing pesticides, compared to 1,524 in 1988.
Prof. Fernando suggested that future preventive measures should include restriction of the availability of pesticides and drugs, empowering people to manage anger and conflicts, and recognition and treatment of alcoholism and psychiatric illnesses.
“The success story of the reduction in the incidence of suicides in Sri Lanka should be a lesson to many developing countries where suicide is a major socioeconomic and health issue,” he said.
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day today, the Sumithrayo movement has organised series of events under the theme “take a minute: change a life”. Sumithrayo provides confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing, feelings of distress or despair. A Sumithrayo volunteer said they received 20-25 calls every day from people who were in distress and many were encouraged to think more positively.
She said the key to coming out of suicidal thinking was to talk to someone in a volunteer movement or to a trusted friend.