AN alarming suicide rate amongst poorer expatriate workers in Bahrain has spurred a call for nationwide action to help those in dire straits.
Official figures for last year are still not available, but 131 people committed suicide in Bahrain in 2008, out of which 36 were Bahrainis, according to the Health Ministry.
This compared with 120 in 2007, out of which 27 were Bahrainis, said the ministry.
Figures for last year have still not been finalised, but are expected to reflect the rising trend, said an official.
The tragic roll call sparked pleas from the medical and voluntary communities for a nationwide counselling service, helplines which the desperate could call and community and awareness campaigns to help stop people reaching such dire straits.
Most suicides in Bahrain are by poor labourers and other workers who get into extreme financial difficulty, sometimes after selling all they have or borrowing heavily to get here, said experts and community leaders.
Most victims are in the 15 to 44 age group and the most common form of suicide is hanging, said the ministry.
It said it had released the figures to raise public awareness of the tragic phenomenon.
Two Indian workers committed suicide this month, one by setting himself on fire and another by cutting cables and electrocuting himself in his home.
Suresh Ravi, aged 22, from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, reportedly locked himself in a room and blocked the door with a wooden plank, before pouring kerosene over himself and setting himself ablaze. Mr Ravi worked for the Juma Construction Company and had been with the firm for only 18 months.
In another incident, Rajeev Philip, 33, cut an electric cable and used it to electrocute himself at his flat in Salmaniya.
Interior Ministry officials told the GDN the investigations concluded that both were suicides.
Financial or domestic problems are the main causes of suicide, said Psychiatric Hospital chairman Dr Adel Aloffi.
"Culture issues, mental disorder, financial difficulties, depression, alcohol and drug abuse are some of the reasons for suicides.
"But most common are financial and domestic problems."
The suicide rate for the Bahraini population remains low compared with other countries, said Dr Aloffi.
"The higher rate of suicide among Indians requires further investigation," he added.
"We don't have a hotline where people can call and report these incidents or share their pain, but we are thinking of setting one up in near future.
"But our psychiatrists are available 24 hours to help desperate people.
"They can call the Health Ministry number 17288888 and the operator would assist them further and transfer their calls to a psychiatrist."
Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) secretary-general Dr Abdulla Al Deerazi said more suicides were inevitable if people's living conditions were not improved.
"Most of the people who commit suicide (in Bahrain) belong to labour community. Reasons vary and the most common is finance," he said.
Many labourers live in poor conditions and are isolated from their families and as such denied emotional support
"The largest number of expatriate population is Indian, therefore, we observe that most of those who commit suicide here are Indians," said Dr Al Deerazi.
"The main problem is that when they come to Bahrain, they think they will solve all their family problems and will be able to support their families.
"For that, they take loans from friends and colleagues and work hard as well.
"But when they don't see any way to repay the debt, they feel they have no other choice than to commit suicide. But this is not a solution to any problem."
"We urge authorities to start counselling or awareness campaigns to save the lives of these people," said Mr Al Deerazi.
Borrow
Many suicide victims are poor labourers who sell everything or borrow hugely to come here, only to find little or no reward, said Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) founder and vice-chairman Alfredo D'Souza.
"There are cases when they are unable to eat themselves, as they try to save and send the money to their families back home."
More must be done to help those in desperate straits, said Mr D'Souza.
tvvvv"The authorities must start awareness campaigns and counselling in Bahrain to help desperate people," he said.
The MWPS decided last November to pay BD200 each to the families of low-income workers who commit suicide, or are killed, injured or become too ill to work.
The resolution was passed at the MWPS annual general body meeting on November and was spearheaded by member and former general secretary Mehru Vesuvala.
The families of seven migrant workers have already benefited.
People needing help may call Ms Vesuvala on 36492951 or Mr D'Souza on 36533000.
aneeqa@gdn.com.bh
