Up to $5,000 for donors

Nov 1, 2009
Up to $5,000 for donors
Amount will cover loss of income; NKF fund will help with medical and insurance costs
By Tan Dawn Wei

SINGAPORE -- From Sunday, needy kidney donors can apply to be reimbursed for their medical and insurance expenses and be paid up to $5,000 for loss of income.

WHAT DONORS WILL GET
# Annual health screening and medical follow-ups as required by public hospital doctor

# One-time reimbursement of up to $5,000 for loss of income

# Reimbursement of hospitalisation and surgical insurance premiums (capped at CPF Basic MediShield premiums)

# Insurance coverage of $100,000

The money will come from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), which set up a $10 million Kidney Live Donor Support Fund.

The announcement by NKF on Saturday coincides with the implementation of changes to the Human Organ Transplant Act.

The amendments allow more people to donate their organs, and for living donors to be reimbursed.

This includes the cost of health checks, laboratory tests, surgery, hospitalisation and follow-up visits, as well as loss of income due to the donation.

Safeguards were also put in place - harsher penalties against illegal organ trading and a bigger role for the Health Ministry in selecting members of a hospital's transplant ethics committee, who decide if the operation goes ahead.

Read the full report in The Sunday Times.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_449003.html