Sphere
#35
2014
27
>>
Palliative care is a humane endeavour
that requires noble hearts, professional
skills and years of experience to master
the job. The requirements may be tough
but when they are fulfilled, Mr Li’s vision
will come true: “Hope transcends and
connects, and you bring peace, comfort
and dignity.”
Funds for more
Apart from funding for the construction
of the centres, LKSF contributes to the
annual hospice conference held by the
Hospital Authority (HA) of Hong Kong.
The conference gathers hospice staff from
Hong Kong and the Mainland to share their
experiences in palliative care.
LKSF also funds the HA’s training
of volunteers in hospice care. It is a
nine-hour comprehensive training
covering basic knowledge in palliative
and cancer treatments, basic rules to
engage with patients, communication
skills and attitudes on life and death
issues. After completing the training,
volunteers are certified and screened
before they are allowed to look after
patients. Assistant Social Work Officer
Ms Ho Mei-ling of Queen Mary Hospital
says the selection criteria include the
volunteering experience of the applicants,
their readiness to undertake this
challenging job and their enthusiasm for
caring for patients.
‘Heart of Gold’
The healthcare team in the hospice
centre is very grateful to LKSF’s funding,
which has allowed the realisation of the
centre and the assembly of a group of
dedicated professionals. “It doesn’t matter
how hard we work. The best return is a
smile shown on the patient’s face,” says
Dr Leung.
Mr Li is also grateful to the professionals,
saying, “Hospice care gives comfort and
hope where only anguish and sorrow
are apparent. We must encourage such
meaningful work and offer help where
it is needed.”
Over the next three years, the Foundation
will seek to involve more participants
and will bolster community outreach
programmes in an effort to strengthen
and create greater awareness for
palliative care services.
The philanthropic LKSF and the healthcare
heroes have together served terminally
ill cancer patients. In Neil Young’s ‘
Heart
of Gold
’, he sings “… I’m getting old, keeps
me searching for a heart of gold.” In the
seventh year of the hospice programme in
Hong Kong, the gold has been given and
the heart of gold has been found.
Mr Li Ka-shing shares his views with Professor John C Y Leong, Chairman of the Hospital Authority,
and the healthcare professionals on the ‘Heart of Gold’ hospice service programme.
“Hospice care gives comfort and
hope where only anguish and
sorrow are apparent. We must
encourage such meaningful
work and offer help where it
is needed.”
Mr Li Ka-shing
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