Dear Editor,
In January 2008 the Chairman of the Suicide Board visited Region 5 and along with the regional executives launched a Suicide Committee to work towards the prevention of suicide in this region.
To date, more than a year later, no action has been taken to elect the executive body or plan an agenda as to how they will go about executing their plans towards combating suicide in Region 5. While the members of this so-called committee are on stand-by since the launch, there have been over fifteen reported cases of suicide, including that of an eleven-year-old schoolgirl. I am certain this senseless waste of life could have been prevented had the committee been active in its capacity of combating suicide.
It is my hope that this letter will somehow help to generate the necessary fuel to rouse the relevant authorities into action, because the bottom line is while this committee is waiting to ‘take off’ not only Region 5 but Guyana is losing its most valuable resource – its citizens!
Yours faithfully,
Juliet Dukhi