by Xin Yage

Created in 1982 by a Jesuit priest and some Christian doctors, the NGO celebrated its first 30 years. Its focus is on the quality of life of senior citizens, a rejection of futile medical treatments, and approaching death with peace of mind surrounded by friends.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - The Kang Tai (康泰, i.e. Healthy and Serene) Foundation released its latest endeavour today, a DVD titled 'Eternal Love' (愛,永不止息). Made up of physicians and medical professionals, the Foundation is dedicated to helping the sick. Two weeks ago, it celebrated its 30^th anniversary.

In 1968, a group of young Christian medical students established Kang Tai. They continued after they graduated and went to work in some of Taipei's best hospitals or became famous physicians, contributing to the development of health care in Taiwan. In 1982, the group set up the 'Kang Tai Foundation' to cater to the needs of sick people in Taipei and around the island.

In more recent years, the Foundation has focused on improving the quality of life of senior citizens (銀髮生活), including people living with Alzheimer, cancer and diabetes. It also began raising awareness in the public about the last stages of life and the need to avoid  futile medical care for terminally ill patients. The DVD is about exactly that, i.e. how to approach death dispassionately through palliative care.

Taiwan's Health Ministry and the City of Taipei expressed their gratitude to the Foundation for its important activities and great dynamism. Celebrations for its 30^th anniversary began with a Eucharistic service on 22 September conducted by three Catholic priests who have been involved with the Foundation for a long time. They also represented Fr Fang(房志榮), the Jesuit who with other young physicians, set up the Foundation. He was too ill to attend.

A conference on the final stages of life and futile medical care was held a few days before the Mass, attracting about a thousand participants. Well-known in Taiwan, Dr Zhao (趙可式) was one of the lecturers who addressed the gathering.

A proponent of the psychological theory of Viktor Frankl, she said that everyone has a right to refuse medical treatment in the final stage of his or her life when the latter is futile, useless and harmful to a patient's quality of life or disrespectful of his or her clearly expressed will.

Inspired by a Chinese saying, Dr Zhao divided her lecture in four parts. Which summarise how the Foundation helps patients, namely through a good life (善生), good old age (善老), a good approach to the end of life (善終), and a good farewell to friends (善別).

• taiwan
• kang
• tai
• foundation
• terminally
• ill
• zhao
• old
• age