The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, visited the Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong (SBHK) this afternoon (August 22) to get an update on its services provided to persons with emotional stress or suicidal risk.

     Accompanied by the Chairman of the SBHK, Mr Robert Wong, Dr Law toured its Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre in Shek Kip Mei. The centre provides outreach service, crisis intervention and intensive counselling to persons with emotional stress and suicidal risk. It also offers support to their carers as well as friends or relatives of people who committed suicide. Apart from carrying out suicide prevention efforts via online chat room, websites and social media, the SBHK launched a mobile application on suicide prevention and emotional support to identify early and proactively reach out to students and youths with suicidal thoughts via an interactive platform.

     Dr Law said that the SBHK is committed to promoting cherishing lives and providing valuable services in suicide prevention. The Social Welfare Department has again increased subventions to the SBHK in 2018-19 to address service needs. Noting that the Government will continue to strengthen suicide prevention through early identification, counselling and support as well as professional training, Dr Law added that discussion of the cross-bureaux/departments task force set up by the Labour and Welfare Bureau on new measures to prevent youth suicide is under way and is expected to complete within 2018. He appealed to members of the public to hold a positive attitude when facing adversity and encouraged them to approach families, friends or professionals for help when in need.

Ends/Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:12

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