Beautiful Preparation for the Final Stage of Life
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Tongyeong City, Gyeongnam Province announced on the 29th that it was designated as a pre-life-sustaining treatment intention registration institution by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on February 27 and will start counseling and registration services for pre-life-sustaining treatment intentions from June.
A pre-life-sustaining treatment intention is a document in which adults aged 19 or older write their intentions regarding life-sustaining treatment and hospice care in preparation for when they become patients in the terminal stage in the future. It is a system to respect the right to self-determination over life and to protect human dignity.
Anyone aged 19 or older can write a pre-life-sustaining treatment intention, and after making a phone reservation and bringing an ID card to visit the public health center, they can receive a thorough explanation from a professional counselor.
Additionally, the written intention is registered and stored in the life-sustaining treatment information processing system and can be changed or withdrawn at any time according to the individual's wishes.
Kang Jisuk, head of Tongyeong Public Health Center, said, "As medical advances extend human life expectancy, citizens' interest in preparing for the end of their lives is increasing," adding, "We hope that a system and culture for preparing for the end of life will be established in the region by improving accessibility to the life-sustaining treatment decision system, and as a pre-life-sustaining treatment intention registration institution, we will strive to continuously promote and revitalize the project."
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