Chinese NGO Promotes Living Wills

Inan effort to promote dying with dignity, the Beijing Living Will PromotionAssociation has helped people register living wills on their website Xyzyz.comsince 2006.

Thisgroup of Chinese doctors, scholars, and public servants finally receivednon-governmental organization status after years of seeking approval from theBeijing Health Bureau and Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs.  This organization aims to spread the stillforeign concept of “dying with dignity” so people can avoid the unnecessarytrauma that comes with excessive resuscitation attempts.

Thispromotion of living wills also aims for a better allocation of medicalresources after research found 80% of medical resources are used in attempts tosave dying patients.  The Associationcontinues to raise awareness of this taboo subject by hosting seminars, distributing pamphlets, andpublishing books like its latest DeathCan Be Sentimental.

See Wu Nan, Chinese NGO Seeks Dying with Dignity byWriting a Living Will, South China Morning Post, Aug. 14, 2013.