Unijos doctors to provide hotlines, for suicide victims

Members of the Jos University Teaching Hospital suicide response and precaution unit have said they will provide dedicated phone lines and social media handles to rescue suicide victims.

This is aimed at reducing the menace of suicide in the society, they said.

Speaking on Monday in Jos, at a courtesy call paid to the members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau state chapter, Dr. Bapi William, who represented the chairman of the suicide response and precaution unit stressed the need to involve the public in the campaign to curb the menace.

“We shall dedicate hotlines and social media handles that will serve as a rescue mission to those that are intending to commit suicide. We shall be appealing to the public that if such people are spotted the phone lines should be used to alert professionals that will quickly come to their rescue,” he disclosed.

Dr. Williams also spoke on the multiple factors that contribute to suicide, like depression, schizophrenia and other mental conditions.

Similarly, a senior registrar in the Department of Pathology, University of Jos, Dr. Dennis Davuruk also spoke on symptoms to look out for in people that are likely to commit suicide, adding that some suicide victims have hallucinations as they see and hear what other people are not seeing or hearing.

Responding, the Chairman, NUJ, Plateau state chapter, Mr. Paul Jatau appreciated the doctors and promised to that the union will partner with them to bring the rate of suicides to the barest minimum.