OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the nature of methods and agents used in non-fatal DSH attempts in the Sundarban area under South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
METHODS: Detailed demographic and clinical data on DSH cases of 13 Block Primary Health Centres\' (BPHCs\') admission registers were analyzed. One Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the Panchayat Samiti of each block (totally 13 FDGs) was conducted to elicit the Samiti members\' perception about the problem of pesticide-related DSH or suicide in the region.
RESULTS: A total of 5,178 (1,887 male and 3,291 female) subjects were admitted at the BPHCs during the study period from 1999 to 2001. Organophosphorous pesticide poisoning was found to be the most common method (85.1%) in DSH. This emphasizes the importance of developing an urgent poisoning-prevention program with a special focus on improving clinical services, as well as initiating farmers\' education programs focusing on safe pesticide practices at the primary-care level.