Kate makes both a caring and campaigning debut

THE Duchess of Cambridge praised the work of the hospice movement yesterday during her first speech on foreign soil.

She described the centres that care for and support the terminally ill as “life changing”.

Kate gave her speech as she visited Hospis Malaysia, one of only a handful of medical institutions in the Commonwealth country providing support for dying patients.

The Duke of Cambridge and staff and supporters from the hospice, based in Kuala Lumpur, listened as the Duchess highlighted how she had learnt the importance of palliative care in her role as patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

“Through this patronage, I have learnt that delivering the best possible palliative care to children is vital,” she said.

“Providing children and their families with a place of support, care and enhancement at a time of great need is simply life changing.

“With effective palliative care, lives can be transformed. Treatment, support, care and advice can provide a lifeline to families at a time of great need.”

Institutions dedicated to palliative treatment for those with terminal illnesses are rare in Malaysia and across the region where families either care for dying loved ones themselves or pay for it, if funds are available.

Dr Ednin Hamzah, chief executive and medical director of Hospis Malaysia, said the very presence of the Duchess and the Duke at the hospice would send a message out across the region.

He said: “The impact of this [will be felt] not just in Malaysia but other countries [such as] Thailand, the Philippines”, and that it would highlight how politicians’ priorities can sometimes lie with other issues.

“This sort of thing doesn’t exist, governments like other things they think are important.”

Kate, who wrote her speech, said: “William and I are hugely excited to be in Malaysia – this, our first ever visit – and are absolutely delighted to have been invited to join you all here at Hospis Malaysia.”

Among those who met here was Zakwan Anuar, 15, who has acute leukaemia, had “almost given up hope”, according to his mother, spending his days sleeping and crying with pain. But the royal visit had lit up the youngster and gave him the sort of smile his mother feared she might never see again

The teenager was so determined to meet the Duchess that he postponed a badly-needed blood transfusion for 24 hours and put himself through extra pain so he would not miss her visit.

The Duke and Duchess were also asked to draw pictures on two clay tiles that will be hung in the foyer of the hospice along with others created by the families of patients who have been treated there as a way of celebrating their lives.

Kate drew a tree with birds flying above it, while the Duke drew a rather less accomplished picture of Tom and Jerry.

The Duchess spoke after her tour of the hospice with William, which lasted about an hour and concluded by saying: “This is a very special place and so much is already being achieved. It has been wonderful meeting the patients, families and all the staff here – you have given us the most wonderful welcome.”

Her first speech as a member of the Royal Family was when she opened her charity’s newest hospice in March, addressing volunteers and staff at the centre in Ipswich.