GUYANA is ready to implement a comprehensive suicide prevention programme, which is a first for developing countries in this part of the hemisphere, Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said Tuesday. He said suicide is a major public health problem but it is not unique to Guyana. However, for there to be any success with this undertaking, a broad approach must be taken, through multi-sectorial collaboration.
Ramsammy reported that, in 2001, the Health Ministry drafted its first National Suicide Prevention Strategy for this country but is has since undergone revision and currently highlights primary areas for prevention intervention as:
* reducing access to lethal means;
* identification, diagnosis and treatment (rehabilitation) of substance abuse;
* physician education – early identification, intervention and treatment for attempted suicide;
* gatekeeper training in suicide risk assessment;
* establishment of a crisis hotline and
* completion of the Guyana Suicide Follow-Back Study.

He said, to date,  the Ministry has been successful in all those areas and is working with the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide and Euthanasia (CRISE) at University of Quebec in Montreal and Syngenta to pilot a project for safe storage of pesticides such as gramoxone.

“More than half the attempted suicides are cases where there was ingestion of gramoxone,” Ramsammy revealed.
He said the Ministry will engage farmers on stricter and safer storing of pesticides to make them less accessible and result in a reduction of the impulsive ingestion of chemicals.
Lethal substances
Ramsammy said work is also continuing with the Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board to address access to lethal substances.
He explained that the Ministry is targeting families, as well, in its effort to control accessibility to deadly means, with aim of establishing systems for the family members to be alerted to substances such as gramoxone.
Ramsammy reported, too, that the Health Ministry’s substance abuse and rehabilitation programmes are making some headway.
In relation to public awareness, he said significant strides have been made in this direction and the Ministry has been upgrading its education programme to sensitise the population, so that communities can become part of the anti-suicide strategy.
Ramsammy said a gatekeeper training programme is being continuously advanced, with the objective of making community gatekeepers for suicide prevention.
He said it is imperative for the gatekeepers to have their eyes open for those who may be at risk and identify potential problems.
On a recent occasion, the Ministry identified eight persons to become trainers under the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, through which 110 persons from Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) will be trained as gatekeepers.
The beneficiaries of that training include religious leaders, teachers, farmers, Police officers, community and agricultural workers, who will be facilitated by the three Health Ministry officials who were trained as suicide gatekeepers’ in March this year.