Focus on community, cultural life crucial in tackling suicide – Granger

With suicide still very much prevalent in Guyanese society, President David Granger believes that a more close-knit approach is needed to tackle the scourge that is plaguing the country.
He explained that before any step can be taken to develop solutions to this phenomenon, the causation first needs to be determined.
“I am confident (that with) greater emphasis on community life and cultural life, we will be able to overcome those (suicidal) problems. The cultural life of a country is very important… if our culture is one of violence that we saw during that drug war during 2002 to 2010, you find a lot of people don’t want to move on. But I think the tide is turning and people want that good life,” the President told reporters on the weekly televised programme – The Public Interest.
According to the Head of State, suicide is a very complex phenomenon, as such Government is conducting studies and is aiming at decriminalising suicide since it believes that the scourged can be resolved if proper measures are implemented.
He pointed out that persons can look for signs of depression and other examples in the communities, which he noted can be clustered at times.
The President explained that in some communities, you see several persons who over a period of time taking their lives because suicide is so prevalent that they feel that is the only way: “Some communities are not bothered by suicide at all but other communities display a high susceptibility to suicide so there could be the copy cat element.”
Moreover, the Head of State went on to say that emphasis needs to be placed on what is taking place in families, what is causing this depression or alienation; we need to see what is taking place with children, what they are saying on their phones and ask whether adults could intervene earlier.
“That is why I say we need to look at the community. I am convinced that if those children had the opportunity to go to plays or participate in plays or dramas or dance or choirs; opportunity to go into sport, then they would realise that they are not isolated and they are not by themselves but they are part of a group and part of a team and they will have a greater will to live,” he remarked.
President Granger further posited that he has asked for studies to be done and this is being dealt with by both the Ministries of Public Health and Public Security, while adding that by next year, he is hoping that there can be more definitive investigations and answers to these questions.
Currently, Guyana is infamously known as the suicide capital of the world, with a rate of 44.2 per every 100,000 persons. It is estimated that some 200 persons die on average from suicide every year in Guyana. In fact, a Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) report that was released in 2014 had identified Guyana as having the highest rate of suicide in the world in 2012. Only last week Friday, two suicides rocked the country. Alleia Khandhai, 16, of Lot 3 Palmyra Village, Berbice, succumbed after consuming a poisonous substance on August 12, shortly after meeting her boyfriend.
And Mahendra Singh, 30, of Number 64 Village, Corentyne, succumbed the same day after he too consumed a poisonous substance out of fear that he would be jailed for a wounding charge that he was before the court for.
In efforts to curb the societal scourge, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) opposition had tabled a motion to urgently address suicide in Guyana but this motion was defeated on August 4 following hours of debate in the National Assembly.