A TOTAL of 26 persons have attempted suicide in Region Six for the year so far, with six deaths recorded; and the Region Six Health Service, on Friday last, held a multi-stakeholder forum with the aim of eradicating the scourge.Key decision makers from a range of services, including educators, the Guyana Police Force, Fire Service, non-governmental organisations, medical doctors, nurses, religious bodies, the media and social workers, all gathered to discuss an integrated and coordinated response to tackling suicide in the region.

The forum was facilitated by Alex Foster, President of Saint Francis Community Developers. Director of the Region Six Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens, in his opening remarks, implored the need for collaboration to brainstorm and charge the way forward in making suicide a thing of the past.

“I believe suicide is preventable. So, as residents of Region Six, let’s put our thoughts together to ensure that, as of 2016, suicide is a thing of the past,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New Amsterdam Hospital, Colin Bynoe, noted that something needs to be done quickly to curb the issue before it escalates.

“In a recent report published online, ISIS leaders in the Caribbean were said to be Guyanese. I want to start with this shocking statement because ISIS has got two Guyanese; and if we reflect on the role of ISIS, (it) is to get people to be part of their scheme; to get people to commit international suicide. Is it that they have tapped into the problem we have here, knowing that we are on a big scourge, or that we are moving ahead where this problem is concerned? …I say these few words to all of us to say we have to come to understand we have a serious problem on our hands,” Bynoe told the gathering.

Regional Chairman David Armogan noted that suicide cannot be completely eradicated, but urged that stakeholders come up with a plan to tackle the issue.

“For the past two years, Guyana was ranked number one in the world for per capita suicide rate. The average per capita of suicide in the world is 16 to 100,000, but Guyana is 44 per 100,000. That statistic alone should attract the attention of all stakeholders in Guyana,” he declared.

Additionally, President of Saint Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster, charged the stakeholders to identify factors affecting the fight against suicide, and come up with possible solutions.

As a result of the discussions, general conclusions and recommendations were agreed upon, where breakdown in family values, lack of trained counsellors, lack of coping skills, lack of financial and human resources at various NGOs, along with easy access to toxic chemicals, were among the major issues cited as factors that contribute towards suicide.

A need for a steering committee in the region; a ban on the sale of gramoxone, or less access to the pesticide; the need for trained counsellors in schools, and increased public awareness were among the possible solutions given.

Foster assured the stakeholders that the data will be presented to the national level and an action plan will be drafted for implementation, so that results can be seen from the efforts of the discussion.