In November 1998, the Li Ka-shing Foundation established China’s first hospice at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Shantou University Medical College. Responding to a need to serve cancer patients, the Foundation implemented a nation-wide hospice care programme with an annual donation of RMB 25 million to set up hospice services at 19 other major hospitals.
– First Affiliated Hospital of the Shantou University Medical College
– Beijing Tian Tan Hospital
– Beijing Cancer Hospital
– Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Second Medical University
– Tianjing Fist Central Hospital
– No.2 Affiliated Hospital, China Medical College
– Affiliated Hospital, Guang Dong Medical College
– Shenzhen People’s Hospital
– Yuebei People’s Hospital, Guangdong
– Chaozhou Central Hospital, Guangdong
– First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University Medical College
– First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University
– First Affiliated Hospital of Lanzhou Medical College
– Fujian Provincial Hospital
– First Affiliated Hospital of Guanxi Medical University
– First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical College
– First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical College
– First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing University of Medical Sciences
– The Hospice of the Tumour of Harbin Medical University
– The Hospice of Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University
Mr Li has high hopes for the scheme. At the press conference, he called upon all those involved to help make it a success. “Support from various sectors involved in the scheme is needed to raise the standard of medical and nursing care for the patients, and to make sure the money and resources we put into the scheme are used efficiently and effectively. We hope this meaningful scheme will take root and grow in China and can help those in need of it. We certainly look forward to having more and more people in the medical profession join in the programme,” he said.
Mr Li also commended the medical staff who are already involved in hospice care. “The doctors and medical staff at the Hospice Centre have put their hearts and minds into providing the best care for their patients, making them as comfortable as possible in the last months of their lives, and helping to ease the sufferings of the patients’ family members. The efforts of these staff are highly commendable,” said Mr Li.
At present this is the only service that provides free hospice care for impoverished cancer patients at home, offering pain alleviation, psychological counseling, and other terminal care. Since its inception, each year more than 10,000 patients have benefited, and more than 20,000 house calls have been made. These figures are expected to increase year-in-year.
The service has been well recognized by the community and is highly acclaimed by government officials.