Kasih Hospice Care Society (KHC) is a charitable, non-governmental organization that offers medical, emotional & spiritual support to patients with advanced diseases such as cancer, end stage renal failure, and HIV/AIDS. It was established in 1997 in Malaysia and is now part of the Foundation of Preservation of Mahayana Tradition under the spiritual guidance of Kybje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
KHC’s professional team of 3 doctors, 2 nurses and over 50 volunteers visit patients at palliative care, oncology, renal and HIV/AIDS wards at 3 public hospitals and provide home care visits to patients and their families. Patients under the care of KHC are being provided with medical consultation, nursing care, medication, consumable items and loan of equipment such as oxygen concentrator, ripple mattresses and wheelchairs, all free of charge. KHC’s hospice services are extended to all people with diverse background and are residing in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas.
Since its establishment, it has provided 3000 hours of home care service to 131 terminally ill patients, visited more than 1,400 patients in hospital wards at 3 public hospitals; nursed a Tibetan Nun from Spiti, India who became critically ill when attending an international Buddhist conference in Kuala Lumpur and fulfilled her wish to return home and die at her own nunnery in remote Himalaya region (Refer newspaper script below); trained more than 120 volunteers and created awareness on hospice care to more than 1000 people.
Realizing the need to provide in-patient services to patients who are destitute, without careers at home, or whose home environment is not conducive for dying, KHC plan to build an in-patient facility which will cost RM 2 Million (about US$ 569,000) to construct and RM 1 Million (US$ 285,000) annual operating cost.
Being a charitable organization with no income except public donation, KHC needs support from donors and corporate. To benefit donors, KHC plans to apply for tax exemption form the government. However, under the local government law, it has to first establish a foundation and to have 1million in the bank account at the time of such application.
In order to sustain its operation meantime, KHC has established an on-line shopping at http://www.kasih-hospice.com/kasihplace/ where proceed from selling the items such as organic and wholesome food, Himalaya personal care products, relaxation music CD and Kenox home wares are donated fully to KHC.
Please log on to www.kasih-hospcie.org for further detail about Kasih hospice Care Society.
----------------------
To further the efforts of Kasih Hospice Care Society, it has been included as one of the recipient of the Bodhi Mandala grant.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Death is certain but the time of death is uncertain. So unless we are familiar with what goes on at the time of death, it can be a very traumatising experience, not only for the dying but their loved ones too, says Dr Goh Pik Pin, head and counsellor of Kasih Hospice Care (KHC). Dying nun found caring Malaysians
Facing Death
By MAJORIE CHIEW, The Star, April 4, 2005
"Death need not be as morbid or mysterious as generally perceived. In fact, with the necessary skills, one can manage the dying process so that it can be a peaceful experience," says Dr Goh.
"By understanding the consciousness and what goes on at the time of death, one is able to train through contemplation and meditation on what it means to live well and ultimately, die well."
Dr Goh deems that just as we need to know how to live well, it is equally important to know how to manage death and its impact on the dying and their loved ones.
Dr Goh Pik Pin: 'We teach people how to manage the dying process and how to provide a peaceful and conducive environment for the dying.' This is where KHC, a non-profit organisation founded on the Buddhist principles of love, compassion and skilful means, plays its role. It was formed in 1998 as the community service wing of Losang Dragpa Buddhist Society (LDC) in recognition of the need for hospice care in Malaysia for people with life-threatening illnesses.
Since its inception, KHC has trained more than 300 volunteers to offer support for the emotional and spiritual needs of people with life-threatening illnesses, and worked with hospitals to educate the public.
"We have conducted several workshops on Death and Dying Well at our LDC centre in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. The classes are almost full each time, indicating much interest in this topic. We plan to carry on this work to benefit as many people as possible," says Dr Goh.
"In our workshops, we teach people to recognise the eight signs of dissolution of the body and mind, how to manage the dying process and how to provide a peaceful and conducive environment for the dying. It is so important for people to know this."
KHC organizes Buddhist Hospice workshops which delve into topics such as "The Power of Mind" and "Healing Oneself, Helping Others". Such workshops are opened for anyone interested in helping relatives and friends who are facing death (due to life-threatening illnesses such as cancer).
"Courses such as these are useful for those who want to know about dying and be mentally prepared for it," says Dr Goh.
Someone who is prepared for death will have a better quality of life and live life to the fullest. "The individual will live day by day, do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said," Dr Goh says.
"A person who is unprepared is sad, afraid and do not know how to face death. It is a frightening experience to leave loved ones behind and things undone."
The Star, Tuesday July 25, 2006
THIS is a wonderful account that will cheer you up from the gloomy news of late. It illustrates that Malaysians still have a heart.
Padma Chhokid was in Kuala Lumpur to attend a conference. On the first day of the meeting she fell seriously ill and was admitted to hospital. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer.
Padma was a nun and the head of a small nunnery from a remote area in the Himalayas. Upon being informed of her terminal condition, her only wish was to return to her nunnery to give final counsel to her nuns and die there.
However, she was too weak to travel and was receiving treatment at the hospital.
Kasih Hospice Care Society (KHC) was requested to take over her care with a view to getting her medically fit to travel before it was too late. Achieving this was never a certainty.
Even if she could be made fit for air travel, getting back to the nunnery meant a five-hour flight back to New Delhi plus another three-day journey across the rough terrain of the mountainous region. It seemed an insurmountable task.
However, very quickly, the conference organisers, friends, well-wishers, Malaysia Airlines, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, St John’s Ambulance and total strangers who came to know of Padma’s plight rallied together and relentlessly helped.
As KHC is a volunteer organisation and a charity, it does not own its own premises and often has to borrow premises from others to do its work. We were fortunate that the head of Sentul Sri Jayanti Vihara allowed us the use of a space at their Maha Karuna Compassion Home for to care for Padma.
She eventually flew off on MH190 on July 19, accompanied by a nurse from KHC. The air tickets were sponsored by donors and MAS.
Despite recent media reports about Malaysians being rude and unhygienic, we would like to say that this drama that unfolded speaks volumes of Malaysians’ caring nature.
This near impossible mission was made possible by the generosity and kindness of Malaysians, who selflessly reached out to a stranger who was in dire need of help – it is like a cooling shower of rain in a world that is scorched by confusion and violent anger.
Thank you all Malaysians, MAS, KLIA and St John’s! You made it possible. Padma safely arrived at her nunnery and passed away peacefully on July 22, surrounded by her family and nuns.
DR GOH PIK PIN,
President
Kasih Hospice Care Society