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Special attetion to mental health can reduce suicide, expert says

THE Alimosho Local Government Hospital, Igando, yesterday celebrated the annual World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) of the year 2020.

THE Alimosho Local Government Hospital, Igando, yesterday celebrated the annual World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) of the year 2020.

The WSPD is an annual international initiative to provide worldwide commitment and actions to stop suicide, with various activities across the globe.

The occasion was spiced up with a health talk which educated Primary Health Care Physicians (PHCP) on mental health.

In celebration of this year's WSPF, Doctor Olumide Adegbokun, a Consultant Psychiatrist with Alimosho General Hospital, stated in an interview that educating primary healthcare givers has a huge impact in stemming the tide of suicide.
 
He explained that majority of Nigerians dwell in the suburbs, for instance, Lagos State having a higher number of residents in Badagry, Ijanikin, Alakuko areas and many others.
 
Dr. Adegbokun emphasised that training primary healthcare physicians to identify, diagnose and treat common mental disorders is a way forward in curbing the rate of suicide.
 
He said: "A constant periodic education of primary health care givers is very vital in ensuring continuous reduction in suicide cases, considering the dynamic practice of science; whereby some previously trained primary healthcare physicians may have relocated or gone to other programmes. Hence the need for periodic education of PHCP.
 
The Psychiatrist also affirmed that a  "Targeted Care" towards high risk groups is another way of preventing suicide. Such is the initiative of Lagos State Government, Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN) at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba, where cases of attempted suicide are referred for adequate follow- up.
 
Dr. Adegbokun added that Extended Psychiatric Services (EPS) is also one of the mediums government uses to curb suicide rates. He explained further that, to avail the larger community the opportunity of mental care, in the year 2014, the State Government provided psychiatric services in some general hospitals to possibly reduce the high cases of suicide in Lagos.
 

The health specialist also mentioned government restrictions on the sale of certain drugs like toxic or poisonous drugs, whereby such would not be purchased without a doctor's prescription, which invariably helps to restrict and trace the consumption of such drugs.