Mahaicony plunger may be listed among suicide stats

Sep 11, 2010 News

When the Ministry of Health 2010 surveillance and death report comes up for verification later this year, some concerns may be amplified when it comes to the controversial death of small-time promoter Godwin Maxwell.
It was just recently that Maxwell, after being taken to court, reportedly for tax evasion, opted to escape from the custody of police having been granted bail in the sum of $45,000. The man was able to evade his captors by plunging into the Mahaicony River, an act which led to his demise.
According to Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, it is anticipated that the question will be asked whether that death was in fact a suicide. “We may have one or two cases like that but now every suicide death is being recorded.”
The Minister noted that Guyana has a realistic suicide record but added that the global figure is not certain. “Public health experts have estimated that the global figure is really 20 to 22 per 100,000 which brings it in line with where we are.”
In Guyana most suicides occur among the age group 15 to 44, which according to the Minister, has major consequences on the country’s productivity and services and by extension on the health indices.
“When people die so young (the national) life expectancy will drop. As long as it reaches a certain level it means that it will have an impact. We have seen that in Guyana, we have seen it in other countries.
“In Guyana approximately 25 persons for every 100,000 die because of suicide globally the figure has been reported about 16 per 100,000.”
And as part of the effort to put a dent in the incidence of suicide the Ministry will this year accelerate measures to better control pesticides. According to the Minister, there are pesticides that people use in their homes. (These) are really potential weapons; they are used as self-inflicted injuries that cause death.
“I know that every family says that their family members would not do that then it happens therefore we need to make sure that we take care in how we store the pesticides so we are encouraging family to ensure that no one person can get to the pesticide by themselves.”
Another pillar of the Health Ministry’s attack on suicide will be the substance abuse programme since according to the Minister, a significant percent of the persons who commit suicide often shows evidence of alcohol use.
Thus the issue of alcohol abuse is being tackled, the Minister said. He added that there are substance abuse programmes that are being streamlined.
The Ministry is also preparing to introduce a prevention substance abuse programme which is expected to help halt the problem of substance abuse. That programme the Minister said will see persons being trained based on international standards and they will be certified to operate programmes.
It is anticipated that religious organisations will fully embrace the venture the minister had related in the quest of halting the national suicide problem.

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Mahaicony plunger may be listed among suicide stats

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