A public awareness program on the World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 was conducted on 10th September 2024 at the Lecture Hall 3 of Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalakka, Ernakulam. The event was organized by the Ernakulam Psychiatric Society & Department of Psychiatry, SNIMS in association with the IPS Kerala State Branch.
The event commenced at 10:00 am with a Prayer, followed by a series of insightful speeches and activities.
Dr. Anoop Vincent, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at SNIMS, delivered the welcome address, setting the tone for the day.
Dr. S. Mohan Sundaram, President of the IPS Kerala State Branch, followed with the presidential address, highlighting the importance of mental health and suicide prevention efforts in Kerala.
Keynote Address and Crisis Helpline Launch: The keynote address was delivered by Lt. Gen Dr. Ajith Nilakantan, the Executive Director and Principal of SNIMS, during which a Crisis Help Line was officially released to support individuals in distress. A standard operating protocol on operating the helpline was also released.
The program concluded with a vote of thanks at 10:50 am, followed by a tea break.
An awareness class was then conducted from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm by a team of experienced psychiatrists, including Dr. Ashok Antony, Dr. Amrita J, and Dr. Sangeetha O S. The session focused on raising awareness about suicide prevention strategies and ways to support individuals facing mental health challenges.
The program successfully brought attention to the critical issue of suicide prevention and provided valuable insights and resources to the attendees.
