Concern about high suicide rate in the northeast

The chair of the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is concerned about the rate of suicide in northeastern Ontario.

Mark King says it is 3 times the provincial average and yet the Northeast LHIN isn’t tracking demand for services.

He cites statistics that the Northeast LHIN region had over 4,700 potential years of life lost due to avoidable deaths per 100,000 people.

The provincial average is around 3,200.

King thinks the higher numbers can be attributed to the downtown in the economy and that’s why the demand for services must be tracked.

He says individuals and family members are impacted when there is a downturn.

As for the future, King says with a casino on the horizon and concern about support services he wonders where are we going to be 3-4 years down the road.

He wonders how many people have to die before someone stands up and says we need to hold our healthcare system accountable.