Kalimpong Police take training in suicide prevention in Sikkim

DICHEN ONGMU, EOI, GANGTOK, MARCH 20, 2023 : A six-day-long training programme in suicide prevention for police personnels from Kalimpong Police commenced at the 24X7 Suicide Prevention Helpline-cum-Crisis Centre in Gangtok on Monday.

KC Nima, team leader 24X7 Suicide Prevention Helpline-cum-Crisis Centre, said that Superintendent of Police Kalimpong Aparijita Rai had taken this initiative by sending a team of six personnel of Kalimpong Police for this suicide prevention training programme.

He said Kalimpong Police had also decided to start a suicide prevention helpline for Kalimpong. The training programme comprises theoretical and practical classes delivered by senior psychologist of Sikkim Health Department Dr Sonam Lassopa, Dr Kuljan Lama from Gangtok Urban Health Centre and Joint Director (Mental Health) Health Department Dr Madan M Dhakal and team leader and counselor K C Nima. 

“This is the only suicide prevention helpline in the country which has been functioning 24X7 and has received more than 1,200 calls so far. The centre has been able to save many lives in these eight years, ”he said.

He stated that the centre had even worked continuously during the peak time of the lockdown due to the global Covid pandemic and attended several distress calls and provided counselling to many people. He mentioned that the team of the centre had been providing counselling over calls and at the centre. The team has also been referring people to psychologists and hospitals and some to rehab centres and even reaching out to the people personally who did not want to come to the Centre or talk over the phone in some cases.