PANAJI
Civic group GOACAN has recommended the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) to prepare an Action Plan to tackle the rising number of suicide cases in the State.
In its letter to DHS Director Dr Vandana Dhume, GOACAN stated that DHS with the collaboration of other departments and stakeholders such as Women & Child Development, Social Welfare, Education, Higher Education; IPHB, Goa Medical College, Goa Police and NGO should take urgent action.
Other recommendations included DHS publicizing the availability of trained counsellors at the respective Primary Health Centres and Urban Health Centres; appointing a Nodal Officer in the DHS to coordinate the efforts to prevent suicides.
The NGO also sought the DHS to prepare an annual month-long activity plan from September 10 World Suicide Prevention Day to October 10, World Mental Health Day which can be observed in all PHCs, UHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals.
“The DHS can identify specific activities for prevention of suicides and the betterment of Mental Health in Goa at the grassroots through the Village Health, Sanitation & Nutrition Committees (VHSNC) and Jan Arogya Samiti (JAS) at the Panchayat level,” GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins said.
