“In China there is a traditional belief that dying people bring bad luck,” an article in ‘Sixth Tone’ explains, which is one reason why palliative care is generally hard to come by there.
Li Songtang, the founder of China’s first palliative care centre, says that the Chinese fear death so much that they would prefer to run away from it rather than have to think about it at all. As a result, children who want to be seen to ‘do the right thing’ for their ailing parents will reject palliative care and insist on more aggressive treatment, trying to preserve life at all costs.
At medical schools in China there is little education about hospice care. A report in ‘The Economist’ described the development of palliative care in China as “slow” and access to it as “limited.” Establishing new hospice facilities often faces strong resistance from people who live near the proposed sites. ‘The Economist’ noted that apart from the country’s 400 hospitals that specialize in treating cancer, there are only a handful of charity hospitals and community health centres that offer end-of-life care.
With China’s rapidly ageing population, this is a growing issue. Hospice care is not covered by public medical insurance, so families need to cover the costs themselves.
One man who turned to the Song Tang hospice for help for his wife said that she lived longer than expected and died a better death. “She didn’t go through much pain when she died,” he explained. “There were no bruises on her body, and everything was peaceful.”
Could this be an area where Christians have a role to play? “Without a spiritual life, it is hard to face death alone, fight fear, and control anxiety,” said hospice founder Li.
Prayer Pointers: Pray for those in China suffering terminal illnesses who are not receiving adequate care.
Pray for families who are struggling to care for relatives nearing the end of their lives.
Pray for all those who work in hospices and community health centres that do offer palliative care.
Pray that Christians believers might be willing to step out in the face of traditional taboos to serve in this area where there is so much need.
