Respecting lives and supporting patients and families all the way 

As a paediatrician for over 20 years, Dr Chan Cheong-wai always meets with hospitalized children. He noticed that, apart from medical treatments, these child patients and their families have many other needs, including emotional support and support in daily life. “Once I needed to brief a parent about her child’s condition. As usual, I started by getting to know more about their family situation, and that parent started crying, saying she had never met a doctor who cared about the difficulties she was facing. The experience made me reflect on what else we can do for these children and families.” Realising there is a lack of understanding of Paediatric Palliative Care, Dr Chan began to act for the promotion of the related service. 

“Paediatric Palliative Care is different from palliative care for adults. It is a holistic approach of care that starts at the beginning of the treatment instead of the very end.” Paediatric palliative care focuses on comprehensive support for child patients’ physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements, helping them better understand the illness they have, what kind of treatment they are going to have, and very importantly how to face death during the process. In 2017, Dr Chan and his fellow paediatricians with the same belief founded “The Hong Kong Society of Children's Palliative Care”, to work on the promotion of paediatric palliative care. With Dr Chan and his team’s active promotion, paediatric palliative care has now become a required course of pediatric training and a regular nursing course.  

“Many people thought that doctors are the ones who give help, but I found that I have received so much from my patients and their families. They are my life teachers; their persistent attitude towards life is always inspiring.” Dr Chan believed the physical condition of patients should not be the only focus; doctors should also help lighten the emotional pain that patients and their families suffer. Sometimes there is nothing more that can be done but to accept sickness and death, but Dr Chan has a strong faith that love will never fade despite the passing of loved ones – love will always stay with us in our hearts. He hopes to keep being by the side of patients and their families and give them support and consolation during difficult time.  

Humanity is to respect every single life, alleviate others' suffering and maintain the dignity of everyone.