The Taipei Lifeline Association yesterday announced it would expand its “e-SOS” emergency-response system to other cities and counties in the hope that the database mechanism would reduce the nation’s growing suicide rate.
The “e-SOS” system was established in 2004 to reduce the amount of time needed to identify a person contemplating suicide and send help within 10 minutes. It has collected more than 60,000 pieces of information on those who have used the lifeline service.
The director-general of the association, Lee Yee-wen (李翼文), said the expansion of the system would seek to integrate the information platforms of the 22 lifeline associations around the country via the Internet to give immediate assistance and advice to potentially suicidal people.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is honorary chairman of the Republic of China Lifeline Association, attended the ceremony yesterday and called on suicidal people to seek help.
“The suicide rate grows whenever the economic situation is bad and I urge the lifeline volunteers to tell those considering suicide that the economy will get better. Don’t end your life because of the bad economy,” he said yesterday at the Taipei City Council.
The latest statistics from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed that the unemployment rate last month rose for the 10th month in a row to 5.75 percent, its highest level ever.
Ma said suicide was one of the top 10 causes of death in Taiwan, with the number of suicide cases increasing to more than 4,000 per year.
The expansion of the “e-SOS” system, Ma said, would raise the effectiveness of the suicide prevention service.
Lee said the Taipei Lifeline Association handled 15,000 calls per day on average and has helped over 100,000 people get through difficult times since it was established in 1969.
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