President David Granger believes research on the causes of suicide is Guyana is necessary so that effective measures can be implemented to tackle the “complex issue” that continues to plague Guyana.
The Guyanese Leader, speaking during his weekly programme, the Public Interest said there needs to be more community involvement in addressing the scourge with more cultural activities to keep youths occupied and their minds off the act of suicide.
He said by mid next year government would have embarked on the study of the phenomenon and the data would be used for the implementation of strategies to assist with its eradication.
The Government is currently working on the decriminalization of suicide.
The Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan and Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton are working to craft the suicide plan.
“I have asked for studies to be done …in many areas along the coast, from region two- Pomeroon/Supenaam right through to East Berbice/ Corentyne and even in some Hinterland communities…it is more rare in the Hinterland but it is still prevalent too, so we need to find out causation first before we could apply solutions, ” Granger pointed out.
Granger believes that limited access to dangerous pesticides would not prevent persons who are determined to end their lives from finding other ways of committing the act.
Meanwhile, the President addressing another social problem, interpersonal violence, said many of the persons who are committing these acts would have witnessed the level of violence that obtained during the early 2000’s and are now perpetuating that violence.
To remedy this, the Head of State also proposed greater community involvement.
He believes that adults and youths do not have the means of dealing with conflicts. Granger proposed that persons be taught to deal with familial issues in non-conflictual ways by going into the places of worship and the homes.
He said interpersonal violence can be solved and his government will seek to resolve same through interventions at various levels.
