A Brief History
Hospis Melaka was registered in November in 1994 as Pertubuhan Hospis Melaka and has come a long way to what it is today. Twenty-seven brave men and women who then saw the urgent need to set up a Palliative Care Group for the ever-increasing terminally ill cancer patients initiated it. Kudos to those brave and caring people for putting Hospice Melaka on the World Hospice Map. In 2014, the organization's name Pertubuhan Hospis Melaka was officially changed to Hospis Melaka.
“We saw the need and we answered the call” - first President of Hospis Melaka Dr M.V Kumar.
Hospis Melaka is a non-profit voluntary service association (NGO) with doctors, nurses and committed lay volunteers. It currently provides Hospice - at Home Care Program. The programme focuses on providing care, comfort for terminally ill cancer patients who are on their final journey. Hospis Melaka hopes to make this final journey of their life meaningful with emotional, social and moral support and counselling. The association also provides free nursing and medical care to help terminally ill cancer patients, families and their care givers. Loan of equipment such as wheelchairs , commodes, walking frames, etc are also provided.
Some of the main objectives of the association is to:
a) To help the dying patients and their families in the following manner:
- to encourage, provide or assist in providing hospice care in the State of Melaka according to the concepts of the modern hospice movement
- to provide or assist in providing assistance to needy patients and/or families
- providing training for doctors, nurses, paramedical personnel and lay person in all aspect of hospice care.
- providing social, emotional and spiritual support to all persons engaged in the providence of hospice care.
c) To educate members of the caring professions and the general public on the modern concepts of hospice
care and to promote good relations between persons providing such care and the rest of the community.
d) To promote R&D work closely with existing hospice association and to raise funds to support hospice
activities
e) To work closely with existing and future hospices and, where necessary, to support the setting up of new
hospices in Malaysia.
f) To establish and maintain facilities for the provision of hospice care in the State of Melaka.
HISTORY OF HOSPICE MOVEMENT IN MALAYSIA
1992 - Grass roots movement with home programme started in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
1995 - Inpatient hospice care initiated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.
1998 - Ministry of Health offer palliative or hospice care at its large hospitals by setting up Palliative Care Units
or Palliative Care Teams
2001 - Two 8 bedded hospice hospitals were set up by Non-Governmental organisations. One of these
hospitals has a home programme thus providing continuity care.
2009 - One of the NGO hospice hospitals had to be suspended due to financial constraints and concentrate on
home programme.
As at 2018 there are 26 hospice services throughout Malaysia that are registered member of the Malaysian Hospice Council. (Reference: Malaysian Hospice Council Website)
HISTORY OF HOSPICE IN MELAKA
The beginning - twenty seven men and women with vision met to set up Hospice Care group to meet the needs of terminally ill cancer patients.
November 1994 - Hospice Malacca was registered with the ROS.
1999 - Palliative Care Unit Hospital Melaka was established resulting in collaboration between doctors and
staff of PCU and Hospice Malacca to provide continuity of care into patients home environment.
2014 - Pertubuhan Hospis Melaka changed its name to Hospis Melaka
2016 - Rented a shop-lot in Taman Malinja, Bukit Baru, Melaka to conduct our activities.
MEMBERSHIP
Hospis Melaka is a member of Malaysian Hospice Council (MHC) and Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN)
Hospis Melaka is registered with Registrar Of Societies, Malaysia with the following registration number:
PPM-001-0408-111994 MEL1287/94
