Launch hotline for suicide prevention, health assistance

FILE: Seal of Department of Health (DOH) (Photo by Department of Health – Official Site of the DOH, Public Domain)

BUTUAN CITY — Caraganons seeking psychological counseling or even health assistance now have a dedicated hotline to call.

This after the Department of Health in the region (DOH-Caraga) conducted a soft launch of its own “Helpline Numbers” where standby operators are always available for any health assistance calls or emergencies.

The hotlines, however, will not entertain medical consultations, clarified DOH-Caraga Director Jose R. Llacuna, Jr.

Instead, Llacuna said they can receive calls or entertain text messages from people suffering from chronic depression to prevent suicide cases. He pointed out that suicide has become a global phenomenon and can take place to anyone at any age.

There is an estimated 800,000 deaths attributed to suicide yearly all over the globe, Llacuna said. The World Health Organization estimated that there are 350 million people suffering from a form of depression worldwide.

Wednesday’s launch, Llacuna said, coincided with the health department’s observance of “World Suicide Prevention Day,” with the theme: “Take A Minute, Change A Life. Tara, Usap Tayo!”

”The simple act of lending an ear to those in need of someone to talk to in times where it seems that all hope has abandoned one; in darkness of despair, a listening ear may prove to be difference between life and death,” Llacuna said.

The helpline numbers are: (085) 342-5724 (Landline); 0945 359 2632 (Globe) and 0948 224 1857 (Smart). (PNA/Noel B. Najarro)