A married pregnant woman, Ivodia Lishishar, aged about 25, recently survived an alleged suicide bid in Kumbo in Bui Division of the North West Region after taking rat poison.

She reportedly took the poison at about 9 am. According to sources, Ivodia on the fateful day complained to Emilia Ghaife, her mother-in-law that her pair of slippers was worn out. The mother-in-law, according to the story, gave her FCFA 1,000 to buy the slippers and keep the change.

Instead, Ivodia Lishishar took out FCFA 100 from the money and bought rat poison. She then asked her sister-in-law, Lilian Kinyuy, to go home and collect money to buy rice.

When Lilian returned, she found the pregnant woman rolling on the ground, complaining of acute stomach disorder. She later admitted having taken rat poison and asked to be rushed to hospital. Luckily enough for them, an in-law, Paul, was around to offer some First Aid. He quickly gave Ivodia some palm oil, anti-poison therapy and another concoction to drink.

After taking the combination, the woman started vomiting and was quickly transported on a motorcycle to the Kumbo Sub-divisional Hospital where she was placed on treatment and later discharged.

Although the immediate cause of Ivodia Lishishar’s attempted suicide has not yet been established, the mother-in-law said she earlier asked the husband money for ante-natal clinic, but he responded that it will only be given on the day of delivery. This might have triggered the woman’s senseless act of attempting to take her life by drinking rat poison.