AN action plan is being drawn up in a bid to stop the rising tide of suicides in Bahrain.

The project includes making more mental health services available, suicide intervention training for volunteers and a detailed study of the causes of such tragedies and how to prevent them.

It comes after two Indians killed themselves within hours of each other on Monday.

At least 23 people are now known to have taken their lives since the beginning of this year - almost half of them Indians.

Most of the cases involved low-income workers suffering from financial problems.

The Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) is planning to form a special committee to highlight the issue and give counselling to distressed workers.

"We are obviously distressed with the news that two workers, both from India, took their lives," said chairwoman Marietta Dias.

"Every suicide is a tragedy, a life and family member lost.

"For those left behind suicide leaves a wound that does not easily heal.

"It affects their families, friends and the communities in which they live.

"To ensure action is taken, MWPS will be launching a national plan to reduce suicide and self-harm."

Ms Dias said the organisation was seeking suggestions from the community in how best to tackle the problem.

"We want to hear views from volunteers as well as community members on whether the plan could help to reduce the number of people who harm themselves or who commit suicide because of the problems they have," she said.

"We want thoughts on whether the plan is the best way to improve services.

"Everyone in Bahrain is affected by suicides, so it is important that we come together and address it together.

"We need suggestions to tackle the issue, specifically to find a way to counsel."

The action plan also includes collating statistics on the number of suicides, something the MWPS has never done before.

Indian Embassy First Secretary Ajay Kumar said the number of Indians who had killed themselves was more than double than that of the same period last year.

"We are closely monitoring but we also want the human resources departments at companies to closely monitor daily work and problems of the workers," he said.

"We have a hotline and Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) number on the embassy website, which is not only for people who think to kill themselves but all Indians in distress.

"The numbers are 39523969 and 39010782."

The latest expatriates to commit suicide were 23-year-old Bharat Jaywant Deshmukh and Sethuraman Ponnan Kaliappa, 45.

A colleague found Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo Company worker Mr Deshmukh, from the Indian state of Goa, hanging from a ceiling fan in his room in Al Markh on Budaiya Highway at around 3pm on Monday.

He is survived by his parents and younger brother.

Hours earlier, the body of Mr Kaliappa, an East Towers Real Estate painter, was discovered in a room at a farm in Buri.

He had been hanging by a rope from a steel beam since Saturday, according to his sponsor.

Mr Kaliappa, from Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, came to Bahrain four years ago and is survived by his wife and three children. aneeqa@gdn.com.bh