Achimota School advised against suicide issues

Dr Emefa Klah, a Medical Doctor at the Korle-Bu Hospital, has advised students to share their problems with the elderly and never resort to suicide as the last resort.

She advised the students to be each other's keeper and be concerned about the affairs of their peers and more importantly focus on their studies.

Speaking to students of Achimota Senior High School on the topic 'Suicide is not an Option', Dr Klah said, 'Do not be afraid to talk directly with someone you think may be contemplating suicide. It may be scary for you, but it is terrifying for your loved one to be alone with those thoughts'.

The event was organised by Wienglo Women Outreach, an NGO that educates the public especially women against suicide.

She said problems in life was part of life and that it was necessary for them to have a focused mind irrespective of any challenges because many people have gone through worse situations but were able to keep their calm and poise.

The Medical Doctor expressed concern about the way students would contemplate committing suicide when they fail their exams or had a heart break from their boyfriend, adding that those situations should never be the cause to end their lives.

She advised the students to see failure as a step to move on with their lives and not an end to their lives, because 'it is not how many times you fall but the zeal to rise up when you are down'.

Madam Linda Mante, a counsellor, advised the students to always stand firm and ignore taunts from their friends because every student has gone through such acts.

She told the students that she came from a poor home but was able to make through to the University because of the determination and quest to succeed in life and believed that they could do same.

Mrs Gloria Boatemaa Andoh, the Founder of Weinglo Women Outreach, said the organisation was a group to provide a platform for women and other young people nursing suicidal thoughts to reach out and receive counsel from fellow women and other professionals.

The outreach seeks to empower women, youth and the general public as a whole in order for them to impact the nation Ghana, Africa and the world.

She said the focus was on suicide because some of the youth especially students think the only solution when faced with problems was to commit suicide, which should not be so.

Mrs Andoh said cases of suicide were recorded in the country's tertiary institutions due to alleged failure in exams and 'heart breaks, stressing that her vision was to reach out to students from the SHS to educate them on the dangers associated with the act.

She said her focus was to scale up the campaign across the country in the schools and appealed for support to embark on the project.

GNA

By Kodjo Adams, GNA