| (Hong Kong, 29 January
2008) The visit to the new hospice centre at Queen Mary
Hospital today by Mr Li Ka-shing, Chairman of the Li Ka Shing Foundation
(LKSF), and Mr Anthony Wu, Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA),
marked the extension of the LKSF’s nationwide “Heart of Gold” Hospice
Programme from Mainland China to Hong Kong to provide terminal-stage
cancer patients with palliative care services. In addition to LKSF’s
HKD42 million, HA will provide a matching fund of HKD23 million.
This programme will see the establishment of eight hospice day
care centres across seven hospital clusters. These newly established
hospice day care centres seek to ease the pain of the dying by combining
a comfortable home-like and tranquil atmosphere together with convenient
access to professional care, equipment and expertise, social and
psychiatric support resources in one hub.
How to relieve suffering when recovery is beyond hope and caring
for life is the heart of the programme’s philosophy. Over a three-year
period new integrated programmes will serve the community through
a range of comfort and care services including day care, home care,
community education to promulgate a positive end-of-life attitude,
volunteer training and research. The funds will also be used to
recruit more medical and counselling professionals to join the service.
The palliative care services will also extend psychological and
bereavement support to anguished families, especially children,
during their suffering and loss. Under this programme, 8,000 psychological
counselling sessions will be provided, while an estimated 750 bereaved
children and 500 families are benefited.
HA anticipates that the enhanced services made possible by the
programme will serve an additional 5,000 cancer patients, 20,000
day attendances and 12,000 home visits.
LKSF’s “Heart of Gold” programme will also play a catalytic role
in putting together different non-governmental program and
related social organizations to sharing experiences and augment
the effective use of resources in providing palliative care services.
Mr Anthony Wu expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Foundation
for its support. “Palliative care service is also a core component
of cancer care and will be provided as early as when terminal
illnesses are diagnosed in cancer patients. Assessment by multidisciplines
will then be made to plan for the patients’ physical and psychosocial
needs. The generous donation of the LKSF will support the promotion
of palliative care services to benefit needy patients,” said Mr
Wu.
Mr Li Ka-shing pioneers the charitable hospice movement in China.
Since 1998, through LKSF’s “Heart of Gold” programme, 65,000 patients
who could not afford medications and care have been offered free
hospice and palliative care. By 2008, the service will be expanded
through 28 hospices nationwide, offering care to more than 18,000
patients each year. To date, total funding for “Heart of Gold”
programme exceeds HKD240 million.
Mr Li Ka-shing said, “Hospice care is all about extraordinary
people taking the time to bring hope and improve the lives of others.
Dignity in death is priceless and care and respect for those with
terminal illness are key indicators of our social values and the
mark of any civilised society.” Praising all front-line hospice
staff involved in the programme, Mr Li said, “Your work is imbued
with sadness but it is admirable. It makes a positive difference
to the suffering. Hope transcends and connects, bring peace, comfort
and dignity.”
The eight public hospitals participating in the Hong Kong palliative
programme are Queen Mary Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern
Hospital, Grantham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, United Christian
Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and
Tuen Mun Hospital.
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