Fire at railway hospital in Garden Reach, no casualty so far
A small fire broke out at the railway hospital in Garden Reach in the southern fringes of the city, spreading panic among patients, relatives and hospital staff.
In a bid to prevent suicides and suicidal tendencies, the department of psychiatry at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital is all set to launch a 24-hour ‘Suicide Prevention Helpline’ within a few months.
The helpline will counsel persons who have suicidal tendencies and prevent suicides as part of crisis intervention.
Head of the department, Dr Nirmal Kumar Bera, said the state health department had decided to introduce the initiative soon.
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The health department discussed the issue in a meeting on 7 March. “Ending life is not a solution to any problem.
The helpline numbers would be displayed in and around the NBMCH campus. There will be around six persons, including a counselor, medical officers and psychiatrists in the helpline team.
They will counsel people through the helpline numbers, and if needed, the team will reach out to them in distress.
There will also be provisions for their admission here,” Dr Bera said. There is a district mental health programme team at the psychiatry department.
The health department has decided to introduce such “helpline” will also be introduced in other districts in the state.
“It is an important development to help people. With this, we can help people who are in distress. According to the general trend, 20 % commit suicide out of depression, 10 % due to schizophrenia, 10% due to alcohol abuse and 10% out of personality disorder, while adolescent suicides also account for 10% of the total cases,” Dr Bera said.
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