A suicidologist at the University of Ghana is calling for a national policy for suicide prevention in the country.
Dr Joseph Osafo is worried at the spate of suicide deaths which have robbed the country of potential human capital.
His call for a national policy comes at a time when news of alleged suicide deaths have been rampant across the country.
Last week a student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology was alleged to have committed suicide by hanging a rope around her neck.
Adwoa Agyarka Anyimadu-Antwi, 18, was reported to have disappointed her parents when she failed in two exam papers and that led her to commit suicide.
The first year Chemical Engineering Student left a note that read; “Sorry mummy and daddy for not being the girl you want me to.”
Police have started investigating the death even though they believe there could be more to the death than just suicide.
The dust surrounding the death of Anyimadu-Antwi was yet to settle only for another student at the University of Ghana to die in another case of a possible suicide.
Jennifer Nyarko jumped to her death at the fourth floor of the Akuafo Hall on Wednesday, the day marked as the International Women’s Day.
She was deemed to have been moody days to her untimely death, even though no reason has yet been given for her action. Police are still investigating the matter.
Then on Thursday there was another case of death with a rope hanging loosely around the neck of a middle aged man around Achimota. The police are attending to the case.
The alarming cases of suicide deaths have set the country on the edge with sociologists, health experts wondering what may have led to the rampant suicide deaths.
Dr Joseph Osafo told Joy News several attempts by interest groups to have cases of attempted suicide decriminalised have proven futile.
“It is long overdue. In 2012 we sent a petition to Parliament to consider decriminalizing attempted suicide. We didn’t hear what happened to that.
What we have been trying to do is to disseminate knowledge so that people are empowered on what to do and what to look out for,” he said.
He also called for national suicide policy that will document into details all cases of attempted suicide in schools, work places, hospitals in order to inform the country on how to fight suicide in Ghana.
Source: Myjoyonline.com