Presenting the concept of palliative care
SIBU: Sibu Hospital in collaboration with Daesco Star Mega Mall will be holding a Palliative Care Awareness campaign and World AIDS Day celebration at Star Mega Mall on Dec 9.
Hospital director Dr Ngian Hie Ung told a press conference yesterday that the event is coorganised by the National Cancer Society Malaysia Sibu Branch.
Minister of International Trade and E- Commerce and Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh is expected to officiate at the opening at 10am.
In the programme are health talks, patients’ sharing, free health screening, dance performances and health exhibition.
She said the campaign aimed at introducing the concept of palliative care to members of the public.
“Although the campaign is Palliative Care Awareness and World AIDS Day, the focus is on palliative care.
“I hope that through such event, members of the public would be more aware that there are such support for patients and their family members,” she said.
According to Dr Ngian, palliative care is a service that aims at improving the quality of life of patients with life- threatening illnesses and that of their beloved ones.
“Palliative care provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms, affirms life and regards dying as normal process, to allow the patients to go through life with less suffering, offers support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death and offers support system to help family cope during the patient’s illness and their own bereavement.
“Our hospital hopes to improve our services in palliative care, but with the resources that we have, we cannot do much.
“However, we do have palliative care team consisting of welltrained nurses who work with the doctors, pharmacists, occupational therapists and dieticians,” she pointed out.
Sibu Hospital is also making home visits to provide basic medical care and advice to the patients and their families.
On AIDS, Dr Ngian said it is important to help those living with HIV and AIDS to get rid of the stigma attached to the disease.
“We are looking at HIV at all walks of life. It is no more confined to a certain group of people,” she said.
For enquiries, contact any of the following persons: Florence Ho (016- 8078168), Kong Hie Chung ( 019- 8858336), Ramlah Ellin ( 0198890569) and Dr Clement Chen ( 084- 335433).