The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), have commended the current management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), for acting swiftly in instituting very stringent measures aimed at alleviating incidents of suicide attempts by some students in the institution.

According to NUGS, the university's management led by the Vice-Chancellor Professor, Rita Akosua Dickson in collaboration with students leadership have rolled out some pragmatic welfare interventions which have ease the burden of many of the students thereby reducing pressure on them.

The measures which include availability of counselors and psychologists for students, provision of free laptops and financial support to needy students, among other welfare initiatives according to the local NUGS at KNUST have averted numerous suicide attempts.

The Local

Local NUGS, Coordinating Secretary & Deputy SRC Tek Talk Chairperson, Isaac Asare, in an interview with OTEC News, Jacob Agyenim Boateng on Thursday said some of the students who benefited from these welfare initiatives have attested to how the support have eased pressure on them.

“KNUST has been recognized as the best university in the world for the provision of quality education (SDG 4). The prestigious accolade was announced in the published 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings on Thursday, the 1st of June, 2023 a clear indication that, the school's management is really doing well"

"I have been a former Welfare Officer for Independent Hall, one of the traditional halls in the school and there are times some students locked themselves up in their rooms to attempt suicide, thanks to the timely intervention of the SRC and the management all such attempts were stopped ".

"The counseling unit of the school periodically sends messages students to make sure every individual has access to them, share their problems and most of these problems when share are solved by the SRC and the University's management", he said.

Recent suicide attempt

A heartfelt video that garnered massive attention and thousands of comments on social media on Tuesday showed the moment a KNSUT level 300 medical student named Kwadwo Asare Konadu Gyamfi almost succeeded in committing suicide.

The short clip that has since raised a hot conversation piece on social media captures the moment Kwadwo tried to jump off one of the storey buildings at Brunei Complex.

Fortunately for him, he was saved by some of his colleagues who were present at the traumatizing scene.

Management of the school has since taken over the case to find lasting solution to his problems.

Meanwhile Isaac Asare has called on his colleagues never to result to suicide no matter the severity of the problem.

He has called on the students to always seek help when they face challenges.