Psychiatry department holds rally on World Suicide Prevention Day
Doctors and Medical students taking out a rally as part of world suicide prevention awareness week in Tirupati on Wednesday
Tirupati : In observance of the World Suicide Prevention Day, a rally was organised from Ruia campus to SV Medical College.
The event was led by the professors of the Psychiatry Department, including HOD Dr Radhakrishnan Raju, associate professor Dr Mallikarjuna Rao, Dr R Bhupal Naidu and several other faculty members from the medical and nursing colleges.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mallikarjuna Rao stressed the importance of the day, which is observed annually on September 10th to raise awareness about suicide prevention worldwide.
He highlighted that this year’s programme includes various activities across seven days to address suicide prevention, including role plays, a rally, webinars, seminars, essay writing competitions, and poster presentations on each day.
Another doctor Kavita pointed out that according to a 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) mental health report, many low-income countries lack national suicide prevention plans. Meanwhile, Dr Jahnavi emphasised that suicide rates are lower in low-to-middle-income countries compared to higher-income ones.
Dr Manasa from the De-addiction Centre spoke about the need for mental health awareness and encouraged seeking help from counsellors and doctors to prevent suicides. After the rally, an online webinar was conducted under the supervision of Principal Dr PA Chandrasekharan, where discussions on career choices and mental health strategies to prevent suicides were held. Many students and staff from the medical and nursing colleges participated in the event.