SIBU: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has conducted numerous campaigns and suicide prevention activities over the past 10 years with a guideline on suicide prevention published in 2013 by MoH.
Disclosing this, Sibu Divisional Health Officer, Dr Teh Jo Hun said a special hotline 15555 has been set up since 2021, which trained counsellors man from 8 am to midnight.
“It was reported in August last year that 24,000 calls had been made to this hotline since it started. Even if this hotline had saved one per cent of lives, it would be equivalent to many lives saved.
“”I firmly believe that while we should not coddle our young, we should teach them and guide them to strengthen their resilience and provide support and help should they feel like ending their lives. To this end, a programme like this is very much needed to raise awareness about suicide prevention,” he said.
Dr Teh stated this at a programme, “Creating Hope Through Action. Changing the narrative on suicide” held at Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Chancellor Hall, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) here, yesterday.
He said nearly 1,000 cases of suicide occurred in Malaysia last year, with over 4,400 cases in the past five years from 2019 to 2023 while suicide rates in Sarawak seem less by comparison, with 286 reported cases from 2017 to 2023.
“The recent death of a doctor in Sabah is a poignant reminder that these suicides can happen to anyone, even someone as successful as a specialist doctor, as in the recent death of a colleague in Sabah or even some celebrities.
“Those in my generation would remember celebrities such as Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the rock band Nirvana, who killed himself in 1994, and Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, in 2017.
“We remember these deaths because it did not make sense when apparently they had everything – fame and fortune. But the case in point is that it can happen to anyone. Even someone who appears well and routine can be struggling with mental health problems,” he said.
Dr Teh highlighted that “Creating Hope Through Action” – is a call to all to create hope by giving support and take action for those whom all hope seems lost and ending their life seems the only course to take.
“World Suicide Prevention Day falls on Sept 10, with this year’s theme being “Changing the narrative on suicide”, he said, adding that a narrative means a story or outcome and by taking action, a suicide could be reduced or prevented, thereby changing the narrative.
A narrative is also a conversation, by discussing and talking about it may change someone’s path and give them hope to avoid suicide as a course of action, he explained, adding that a National Health and Morbidity survey in 2018 reported 10 per cent of youth in the country had suicidal thoughts.
The event, jointly organised by UTS and Sibu Health Office, and sponsored by Sibu MP, Oscar Ling Chai Yew was attended by about 300 participants including from government agencies, non-governmental organisations and UTS’ students.
