WHAT is more noble than helping individuals afflicted with serious illnesses such as cancer to live life to the fullest and add quality to their lives?
As such, Charis Hospice, a non-governmental organisation in Penang, is committed to providing care to not only the patients but their caregivers as well.
Its founder and medical director, Dr Oo Loo Chan said that the organisation is set to organise the ‘Happy Feet’ Fun Run on April 20 at the Setia SPICE.
The flag-off time is at 7:30 am.
“The purpose of organising the run, apart from raising funds, is to raise awareness within the community and among authorities regarding the importance of palliative care,” Dr Oo said during a press conference today.
According to Dr Oo, the Charis Hospice, established in December 2004, aims to ease the pain of the patients, support the caregivers, and help the family make decisions in the best interest of the patients.
“Our team comprises doctors and nurses, who provide home-based care. Other than that, we also lend medical equipment to the families in need.
“What people often think about palliative care is that it is only needed during the last days of the patient.
“However, that is not the case. The sooner patients receive this care, the better. Furthermore, our palliative care is free of charge,” Dr Oo said.
State Youth, Sports, and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi urged the public to take part in the run for a good cause and to come together as a community.
“According to the statistics shared by the Health Ministry, the number of cases of cancer patients was 48,639 in 2020, and, out of that, 29,530 patients died of cancer.
“The number of cancer cases is expected to double in the year 2040.
“Therefore, palliative is important for cancer patients,” Gooi added.
For those who are interested in joining the ‘Happy Feet’ Fun Run, they can contact the organisers at 011-1246 6757 or email [email protected].
They can also log onto https://charishospice.com or visit Charis Hospice’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/charishospice?mibextid=LQQJ4d.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Alissala Thian