National Kidney Foundation Singapore

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Logo of NKF

The National Kidney Foundation Singapore (NKFS) is a Singapore-based foundation running kidney dialysis and prevention programmes. It is fully supported by charity donations.

1 Beginnings
2 Facts about NKFS
3 Current management
4 NKF scandal
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] Beginnings

NKFS was established in 1969 by Dr Khoo Oon Teik, a nephrologist, and a cohort of friends successfully established Singapore's first dialysis unit at the Singapore General Hospital. The late Yusof bin Ishak, the first President of Singapore and Patron of the Foundation, officially inaugurated the NKFS in Singapore on April 7, the World Health Day.

[edit] Facts about NKFS

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NKFS is the largest charitable organisation in Singapore.
NKFS established the world's first public-funded subsidised dialysis programme in 1987.
NKFS is the single largest not-for-profit dialysis provider in the world.
Singapore first Dialysis Centre opened at Kwang Wai Shiu Hospital in 1982.
NKFS created history with the first overseas transplant in Singapore in 1983.
The Foundation's determined efforts in lobbying for Human Organs Transplantations Act achieved its desired result with the passing of the Act in May 1987, making Singapore the first Commonwealth country to adopt such legislation.
In 1992, NKFS organised the 1st International Congress on Organ Transplantation in Developing Countries.
In December 1991, NKFS made possible the first transplant in Southeast Asia using the kidneys of a Muslim accident victim in Singapore.
One of NKFS’ patients became the first kidney patient in Asia to bear a healthy baby in 1992.
The NKFS, together with the Ministry of Health, officially launched the Singapore Renal Registry (SRR) in 1993; the first of its kind in Asia, the Registry gathers comprehensive data and statistics from dialysis centres and hospitals on kidney disease in Singapore.
The NKFS introduced a novel fundraising method using technology – the telepoll, in 1994.
The NKFS appointed an independent audit committee to enhance its system of internal control in 1995, making it the first and only charity in Singapore to do so.
In 1996, the NKFS launched the Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) programme with its first CAPD Centre in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore.
The NKFS launched its Exercise for Life programme, the first in Asia in 1997, enabling kidney patients to improve their physical fitness and gain better control of their health.
NKFS blazed prevention trail by offering free health checks for Singapore's workforce through the Partnership for Prevention Programme in 1997.
NKFS established Singapore's first Kidney Resource Centre in Aljunied in 1998.
NKFS established the Khoo Oon Teik Professorship in Nephrology in 1999.
NKFS' Institute of Nursing Education and Research (INER) initiated the formation of the Association of Renal Professionals of Asia Pacific (ARPAP) in 2001, a first in the region.
NKFS established the Children's Medical Fund to help chronically ill children and young adults in 2001.
NKFS opened the Shaw - NKFS Children's Kidney Centre, Southeast Asia's first one-stop paediatric renal centre in 2002.
In 2002, a unique 18-station dialysis and fitness centre was opened which is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia—this centre revolutionised the training and rehabilitation of elderly kidney patients through customised exercise programmes to ensure that they continue to enjoy independence and sustained quality of life.
Possess reserves of S$262 million as of July 2005.^[1]

[edit] Current management

On 15 July 2005, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan named Gerard Ee as the interim chairman and acting CEO of NKFS.

On 20 July 2005, the new board was announced. Gerard Ee remains as Chairman ; the other members of the board are:

Koh Cher Siang, Deputy Chairman
Gan Seow Aan
Philip Jeyaretnam
Ng Boon Yew
Peter Seah
Ernest Wong
Professor Woo Keng Thye
Associate Professor Mak Yuen Teen
Chay Yee Meng

On 15 May 2006, NKF introduced its new full-time CEO, Eunice Tay.^[2]

[edit] NKF scandal

Main article: National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal

In July 2005, a scandal involving the charity broke out following the collapse of a defamation trial which it brought against Susan Long and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). This caused a massive backlash and fallout of donors to the charity, and subsequently resulted in the resignation of Chief Executive Officer T.T Durai and its board of directors.

Allegations surrounding the scandal included the false declarations on how long NKF's reserves could last, its number of patients, installation of a golden tap in Durai's private office suite, his salary, use of company cars and first-class air travel. Former NKF patron Tan Choo Leng, wife of Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, sparked further outrage when she remarked that T.T Durai's pay of "S$600,000 a year is peanuts". ^[3]

President of the National Council of Social Services, Gerard Ee, has since been appointed as interim chairman of the organisation. A full independent audit on its finances was conducted by KPMG, and a 442-page report released on 19 December 2005 revealed several malpractices by the former NKF board and management. On 17 April 2006, Durai was arrested and charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Singapore police.