President commits to government employing strong approach to tackle suicide cases and causes

“The government will be doing a more detailed study to determine why so many Guyanese continue to kill themselves,” the President said

President commits to government employing strong approach to tackle suicide cases and causes

President David Granger on Wednesday said investigations are ongoing and his government will be taking more decisive actions in the near future to address the high incidents of suicides and criminal activates which continues to result in the loss of lives.

He told media operatives that his government will be taking on the responsibility of conducting detailed studies into the causes for the high incidents of suicide across the country.

His expression of concern comes on the heels of a double suicide earlier this week by a young couple and an attempted suicide by a policeman on Tuesday.

“The government will be doing a more detailed study to determine why so many Guyanese continue to kill themselves,” the President said, while acknowledging that the causes are many.

Responding directly to the call for better control over the sale of pesticide, which is commonly used as a means of suicide, Mr. Granger noted the other methods used by individuals. He also said that there are several motivators of such acts including poverty and depression.

“There are several factors driving people to suicide and they are being investigated… it is not just poverty because some of these people seem to be living very comfortable lives. As I often say, happy people don’t kill themselves,” he added.

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The scene of Monday’s double suicide

The President said he understands that no amount of effort by the government will be able to prevent suicide in all circumstances but committed to taking strong action to reducing the high incidents.

“The idea is to get at the cause before outcome and effects… Guyana has one of the highest suicide rates in the hemisphere and it is a public health issue,” he added.

On Monday, police investigators were called to the Kingston seawall after the bodies of a 19-year-old woman and her 18-year-old boyfriend were found side by side. The two reportedly drank a poisonous substance. A number of bottles containing a poisonous substance was removed from close to their bodies.

Last week, well-known Guyanese human rights activist Zenita Nicholson took her own life by ingesting carbon tablets. Just last evening a member of the Guyana Police Force was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital after he reportedly ingested a poisonous substance.  (Kurt Campbell)

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