NKF will take on responsibility of reimbursing kidney donors for its patientsChannel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia - Wednesday, April 8
SINGAPORE: The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) said Tuesday it will take on the responsibility of reimbursing individuals who donate organs to its patients.
This was revealed by NKF Chairman Gerard Ee at the sidelines of the charity’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
Kidney patients who receive treatment at NKF dialysis centres are usually from low—income families.
In fact, 95 per cent of them passed the means—testing criteria for dialysis subsidy.
This means they are probably unable to reimburse any potential donors for the medical costs of donating their kidney.
Among the reimbursement NKF is looking at, is paying donors for follow—up medical check—ups after the transplant.
Mr Ee said NKF will also buy insurance coverage for kidney donors, and is currently working out the details with NTUC Income.
Other payment will include reimbursement for loss of income in the event the donor falls sick after the transplant.
Channel NewsAsia understands that NKF may have to set aside some S$10 million to reimburse kidney donors.
During the event, Mr Ee announced that a new dialysis centre will be built in Jurong within the next one—and—a—half years to cater to a growing demand for dialysis places, with a S$2 million donation from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.
The temple will also foot the cost of running the centre, estimated to be S$800,000.
Some 150 new patients undergo dialysis every year.
There will also be a new public transport subsidy for needy patients to help them defray the costs of travelling to and from dialysis centres.
Four religious groups are coming together to pool some S$50,000 for the subsidy.
They are The Singapore Buddhist Lodge, The Taoist Federation, Jamiyah Singapore and the Hindu Endowment Board.
Mr Ee added that the NKF’s future plans include reducing the number of dialysis patients through more prevention programmes and education on renal health, a point which was also brought up by the Health Minister.
Said Khaw Boon Wan, Health Minister of Singapore: “To me, dialysis shows the failure of the system but I hope in due course, demand for dialysis will be reduced either through good prevention or because transplantation has become much more important than dialysis."
There are also plans to push for more peritoneal dialysis so that more patients can do dialysis at home.
— CNA/yb
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/cna/20090407/tap-734-nkf-announces-plans-new-dialysis-231650b.html
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