[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) says it is deeply concerned over the recent incidents “whereby children died allegedly at the hands of their mother; where a number of senior citizens, predominantly women, were murdered and the continuous cases of suicide.”
The IAC in a statement noted that it is “gravely concerned that it is seemingly becoming unconfined to adults as some children are unfortunately taking their own lives.”
The IAC noted that it has repeatedly expressed its concern over such incidents and called for a national intervention and to declare the current situation of suicide a national priority.
“The IAC would like to reiterate this call and to note that despite some mechanisms to provide assistance, there has been a deficiency in this regard by public entities and private organisations.
“The organisation once again urges the Ministries of Human Services and Social Security, Health and Culture, Youth & Sport, to collaborate in an effort to derive a meaningful plan of action which will lead to the provision of education and related counselling with the aim of reducing, and hopefully, eliminating incidents of suicide.”
During the budget debate in Parliament on Wednesday, April 02, Shadow Health Minister of the main Opposition, Dr. George Norton noted that “Suicide is being ignored by PPP government… Guyana ranks 4th in suicide per capita worldwide with 111 in 2013 and the highest in Region Six” he said, adding that “there were 23 for this year” as he recalled the recent cases where a mother drank poison after poising her two children, the 10 –year – old boy who attempted to hang himself and a 13 – year old who one day after also hung himself.
