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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the 10th International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society (ICGB) this morning (June 11):
Professor Peter Mathieson (President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong), Mr Brian Stevenson (Chairman, Board of Stewards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club), Professor John Burns (Dean of Social Sciences, the University of Hong Kong), Professor Cecilia Chan (Chairperson of the Conference's Organising Committee), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to address this high-powered audience brought together by the 10th tri-annual International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society. Let me first extend a very warm welcome to all overseas delegates and speakers.
It is the first time that this prestigious conference has come to Hong Kong and, indeed, Asia. I am grateful to the University of Hong Kong, the ICGB, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Social Welfare Department for bringing this important event to town.
Every three years, over 1 000 leading scholars, clinicians, health-care experts and medical social workers from around the world come together at ICGB to share their knowledge, skills and insights on issues of loss, trauma and bereavement. This conference thus provides a major platform for multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration on thanatology.
The theme of this year's Conference - "East Meets West: Expanding Frontiers and Diversity" - is most fitting as Hong Kong, being a cosmopolitan community and international city, is very much a melting pot of the East and the West. Many say that Hong Kong has the best of both worlds. It is pertinent to mention that whilst grief has been a subject of considerable research, literature and studies in Western societies, it is relatively less talked about in the Chinese community owing to cultural differences and subtleties. This reminds me of what the famous author C S Lewis once said, and I quote: "I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more".
Death is inevitable for all. Losing someone you love is extremely agonising, to say the least. Prolonged grief and bereavement, if left unattended, will have a long-lasting adverse impact not only on the individuals but also on families and communities. Timely and proper treatment could prevent depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic mental problems. This underlines the importance of grief and bereavement management. In this context, we need to educate and prepare individuals for the end of life. We also need to promote public awareness and understanding as well as build capacity and resilience of our community in facing the inescapable eventuality of death. This is particularly so as Hong Kong's population is fast ageing. Currently, one in seven Hong Kong citizens (or 1.02 million) are aged 65 and above. The figure will soar to a staggering one in three (or 2.56 million) in 2041. Better nutrition, more sophisticated health-care support and technological advancements have enabled us to live longer. On average, men and women in Hong Kong today are expected to live up to 81 years and 86 years respectively.
I would like to applaud the Organising Committee of this Conference for rolling out a host of programmes in the run-up to the Conference to warm up the community on the topic about death or loss. Public education programmes are offered to the public through secondary schools, teachers and parents associations as well as the mass media. They aim at promoting the importance of facing death and grief positively and openly, especially to our next generation.
In Hong Kong, many health-care institutions, government departments and non-governmental organisations provide highly professional end-of-life care for the individuals and support for their families. Palliative care also plays an important role in improving the quality of life of patients and their families by helping them cope with the psychological stress and social needs in facing death. All these enable our citizens to age and die with dignity and give their family the assurance of high-quality care for their beloved till the very end.
To enable our senior citizens to stay in the same residential care homes even when their health deteriorates, the Labour and Welfare Bureau has been promoting the continuum-of-care concept in subvented residential care homes for the elderly such that enhanced care can be offered to suit changing needs and circumstances. At the community level, the Social Welfare Department adopts an integrated and family-based approach to assist families of the deceased cope with grief and mourning. Social workers from our Integrated Family Service Centres offer both support as well as welfare and financial assistance. These include bereavement counselling, needs assessment, assistance on burial matters, financial and housing assistance, care arrangements especially for children and the elderly, social support network mobilisation and referral to clinical psychologists and other medical professionals.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that the exchanges before and during this international conference will not only benefit professionals but also provide good food for thought for many caregivers and members of the public in Hong Kong. Our citizens, whether young or old, need to strengthen their resilience in coping with, learning and growing through loss and sufferings in life. This event provides a valuable opportunity for us to share our knowledge and experience in grief and bereavement. On this note, I wish you all a rewarding and successful conference.
Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:21
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