New government suicide hotline to start operating by the end of October

A new helpline will start operating by the end of October to assist people contemplating committing suicide.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne explained in Parliament on Wednesday that this helpline will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mental health care workers will be at the other end of the line, to not only listen but also wait with the caller till someone attends to them physically.

Minister Fearne echoed the statement issued on World Suicide Prevention Day by the Commissioner For The Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders, saying that each suicide death is a tragedy.

“This helpline will launch to reduce these tragedies as much as possible."

According to statistics by the Commissioner, an average of two suicide deaths per month occurred in Malta for the past 11 years.

READ MORE: The Commissioner For The Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders says that each suicide death is potentially preventable

Currently, in Malta, there are already several suicide support chats and hotlines that could support someone when in need of help, including kellimni.com's online chat, Richmond foundation’s 1770 freephone and Crisis Resolution Malta’s app Kriżi.