BHUBANESWAR: Alarmed by a spurt in suicides in Bhubaneswar in the last few days, the commissionerate police has decided to launch a suicide prevention helpline number.
The police recently held a first round of discussions with some eminent psychiatrists and sought their assistance to train a group of constables and senior officers, who would man the helpline centre. The constables and officers would learn the basic of counselling so that they can dissuade a person from taking the extreme step.
"We have observed that most of the suicides occurred late at night. We plan to operate the helpline 24x7 so that a person in need can seek help at odd hours," a senior police officer said.
Mental Health Institute, a centre of excellence of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack runs a helpline number 18003457288 to counsel patients suffering from mental illness and having suicidal tendencies. “Not many people are aware of such a helpline. So, we hardly receive calls seeking our intervention for suicide prevention,” Sukanya Mahakul, a clinical psychologist of the helpline centre.
While 5546 people died by suicide in 2020, altogether 5651 people ended their lives in 2021, the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said.
Over a dozen suicide cases have been reported in the capital city in the last two months, triggering concerns about negligence towards mental health. On Friday, a 21-year-old girl died by suicide in her home in Laxmisagar area here after being allegedly scolded by her parents on her personal issue. Another man, who was a drug addict, hung himself in his home in Airfield police area on Friday.
On Wednesday, a BTech student allegedly died by suicide at railway colony here over her family dispute.
Recent suicides by BJB college student Ruchika Mohanty, Ollywood actor Rai Mohan Parida, software engineer Sweta Utkal Kumari and MCA student Ashrita Senapati, and nursing student Kuni Kanhar left the police on their toes.
Police said many suicides can be prevented if the victims get timely counselling. The police cited the example of the nursing student Kuni Kanhar, who allegedly hung herself on September 4 from prolonged insomnia. Though her family members, hostel mates and college authorities were aware of her sleep disorder, they did not seek the help of any doctor or psychiatrist.
