A concert with the theme “cherishing life and restoring hope” will be held in Taipei on Sunday to increase public awareness about the importance of suicide prevention, the organizer announced yesterday.
The event, featuring performances by several popular -entertainers, will mark the first time four professional associations — doctors, lawyers, architects and accountants — have joined hands to set up a charity concert, said Lee Ming-been (李明濱), president of the Taiwan Medical Association, the leading organizer.
Lee, who is also chairman of the National Suicide Prevention Center, said professionals from the four professions encounter clients who are high suicide risks and that all have the responsibility of safeguarding life and preventing suicide.
With one person committing suicide on average every two hours, suicide has been among the top 10 causes of death for 12 consecutive years in Taiwan, Lee said.
He said about 4,000 people commit suicide in Taiwan each year, leaving about 24,000 family members with shattered lives and living in constant mourning.
Speaking from her own experience, Chang Chih-hsuan, a consultant at the Suicide Prevention Center, said not only the suicide victims, but also the people they leave behind are a traumatized and disturbed group. She urged the public to also pay attention to these bereaved family members.
The concert will be held at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Free tickets are available upon request.
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