HYDERABAD: As suicide takes the form of an epidemic in Telangana, it was no surprise that the moment a Suicide Prevention Counselling Cell was launched, it received a call.
A 25-year-old youngster called up to say he was planning to end life due to failure in love. Telangana Health Minister C Laxma Reddy donned the role of a counsellor and dissuaded the youth from the extreme step.
At around 1 p.m. the minister inaugurated the cell which works under the purview of 104 Call Centre at Koti. One has to dial ‘104’, and the call gets directed to the Counselling Cell.
“The 25-year-old youth from Nalgonda said that he was about to attempt suicide because of love failure. Counsellor was pacifying him,and the minister was informed of the call. The minister spoke to the youth and made him understand the importance of life. He asked the youth to meet him in person at the Secretariat,” said K Shashi Sri, general manager, 104 Seva Kendram.