Mentally-ill woman commits suicide

A 51-year-old woman is the country’s latest suicide victim. The Corentyne woman who lived alone, died on Monday after ingesting a poisonous substance.

The dead woman has been identified as Chandrawattie Sepulveda of Number 69 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. The woman is said to have been suffering from a mental ailment and ingested the poison after returning from the psychiatrist on Saturday. According to reports, Sepulveda had made threats of taking her life during her doctors’ visit.

According to her brother Surajpaul Rajpaul, he travelled from Suriname and a sister came from Canada to ensure Sepulveda received treatment for her mental disorder.

He said during the first visit, they were advised to remove all sharp objects from the home along with chemicals and anything which can be used to inflict self-harm.

However, as they returned home from the doctor’s visit on Saturday, Sepulveda quickly got into the house saying she wanted to use the washroom. Moments after, her sister from Canada heard her coughing and when she enquired, Sepulveda said she had just ingested poison.

“The thing happen so fast that the car that we come home with did not even pull off yet and we get the same car to get her to the hospital,” Rajpaul said.

According to Rajpaul, his sister was taken to the Skeldon Hospital where she was given something to induce vomiting.

“And they give she some saline or something. So the sisters sit down and decide that Walter Singh [Doctor] is the best place to carry she. So the next day, we take she out the hospital and carry she to Walter Singh,” the grieving brother related.

After receiving treatment, Sepulveda was asked to return to the doctor the following day (Monday).

He explained, “We carry she back about 8 o’clock (08:00h) and when she reach home, she become weak when she go in the house, she fall. The sister and neighbours help and put she in the bed.”

Rajpaul said moments later, he heard screaming as his sister had taken her last breath.

A post-mortem examination is scheduled for today at the Skeldon Hospital.

If you or anyone you know is feeling depressed or is possibly contemplating suicide, please call the Guyana Inter-agency Suicide Helpline which operates 24 hours and is organised by the Guyana Police Force. Telephone numbers are 223-0001, 223-0009, 223-0818, 600-7896 or 623-4444.