by Ministry of Health
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, EXPRESSED THE COMMITMENT OF THE MINISTRY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES…
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition in collaboration with the Etablissement Public de Sante Mentale de la Guadeloupe recently hosted a suicide prevention workshop, aimed at strengthening the clinical knowledge and skills of health professionals to help them prevent suicidal behaviors and save lives. The training took the form of a participatory approach where health professionals got the opportunity to share their experiences, engage in discussions and get equipped with the tools to prevent suicide and also reduce the impact of suicidal behaviors in Saint Lucia.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George expressed the commitment of the Ministry of Health to improve the quality of mental health services from prevention to management and also the rehabilitation of patients. “Many of us, whether we know people or family members, when someone commits suicide and the family members think back, they will say ‘but we saw the signs.’ A lot of the times we see the signs but didn’t think anything of it. By educating our healthcare providers, our community members, our families who may have persons going through mental health issues, it is important for us to pick up these early signs and do something about it before it becomes an attempt or even a successful suicide. We look forward to this workshop and really appreciate the team coming here for the next three days working with us.”
Minister for Health, Wellness and Nutrition Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste emphasized that suicide prevention is a shared responsibility requiring coordinated action across all parts of society, rather than relying solely on the health sector. “As a ministry we recognize that suicide prevention cannot be addressed only by the health sector. It requires a coordinated and sustained response involving mental health services, primary care, emergency departments, schools, workplaces, social services, community organizations, families and importantly, the wider community. Our approach, must therefore go beyond responding to a crisis after it occurs.”
Head of the Suicide Prevention Department at the Public Mental Health Hospital in Guadeloupe, Dr. Edouard Gosier said it is indeed an honor to get this opportunity to share with the team actionable tools for clinical suicide prevention in Saint Lucia. “Through this seminar, we look forward to sharing some particular tools and insight we have gained from implementing this programme on the ground. Above all, we hope this seminar will serve as the first step towards a strong and long lasting partnership between Saint Lucia and Guadeloupe in the field of mental health. By uniting our regional expertise, we can build a strong, more resilient safety net for everyone.”
Upon completion of the workshop, the Ministry of Health is hopeful that evidence-based, low cost interventions can be integrated into the healthcare system as to strengthen national suicide prevention.
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