NKF-that can of worms has already been opened!

last SG · 2005-07-12T23:24:59+00:00

Tuesday August 8, 12:17 PM Four third party defendants downplay individual roles in NKF The blame game continues in the S$12 million National Kidney Founda...

soloken SG

Oh s...s, how come all the IT companies related to NKF are indians??? No wonder singapore SME in IT are suffering like mad the previous years. Even our dear suria is also in the following companies from india:

http://www.glakes.org/people.htm

Dun tell me indians take care of themselves...all related.....

soloken SG

Not being racist, but taking our money and give to indians or anyone where you can take care of the community first should be the first consideration. Furthermore, a CRM software...which i gather does not cost that much!!

soloken SG

http://www.fortesyst.com/fortefinal.html

even their website got not much information, vert dubious company le....

macjoe SG

Was reading the papers and when the Gerard Ee said NKF reserves can only last for 5-6 years (when Durai said it could last 20-30 years), the NKF system is fundamentally still unchanged - plea for continuous healthy donations and surpluses.

NKF sure needs a Chairman and CEO who can make the reserves last 20-30 years!!!!

Idea

dragg SG

whether the reserves can last 5-6 yrs to 20 yrs depends on much subsidies that are giving to the patients.

frankly i am sick of the whole saga.

macjoe SG

Patient care indeed but at great expense to the patients and donors.

Patient dialysis treatment cost reduction from $2,730 to $2,211 may sound like a fantastic job done by the new board but when we compare with what our Malaysian patients are getting in Malaysia, our treatment costs are way too exorbitant.

Source: http://www.nkf.org.my/02dialysiscentre.htm

Compared to private haemodialysis centres which charge between RM150 and RM250 per dialysis treatment, all NKF centres, and others we have opened in partnership with third parties, charge no more then RM60 per dialysis treatment.

Even private rates are lower than our NKF!

Comparing apples with apples:

NKF Malaysia charges RM60 (i.e.S$30) per session.
NKF Singapore charges S$162 per session.

Ours is 540% more than theirs!!!

What Sg kidney dialysis patients really need is another new board to tie up with NKF Malaysia and bring S$30/session to Sg kidney patients!!!!

With its huge reserves, surely it can seriously last 20-30 years, not 5-10 years as spoken by the two inexperienced Chairman and interim CEO.

Idea

dragg SG

i will not donate a single cent to NKF even after their so-called revamp exercise.

pearlie27 SG

i don't have any problem with the TV shows or the artistes getting paid for these shows actually raised a lot of money. But the accounts must be clear and above board.

it is all those shady business dealings with dubious companies or organisations and the holding back of medical supplies' rebate that i find offensive.

Heartlander SG

Posted by Macjoe

"NKF Malaysia charges RM60 (i.e.S$30) per session.
NKF Singapore charges S$162 per session.

Ours is 540% more than theirs!!! "

The rental unit for dialysis may be 2-5 times more expensive than that of Malaysia's. Just look at our PM's pay, it is more than 10 times that of Malaysian PM. So how to compare? As one Singapore nurse's salary(including CPF) can employ more than 3 nurses in Malaysia, one Singapore doctor's pay is equivalent to 10 Malaysian doctors'!The overheads in Singapore are so much more than that of Malaysia, so it is hard to compare the charges unless the HDB waive the rental charges, the doctors and nurses give their free services, these are practically impossible to attain as there is nothing for free in Singapore!

It is quite a consolation that the new team could bring down the charges for the needy patients and hopefully they can do more to relieve their suffering, at least most donors would find that their efforts and contributions are not in vain.

RaTtY81 SG

hmm den wat happen to the former ceo?

macjoe SG

Maybe what we really need is a bus charter service for Sg kidney dialysis patients to go to NKF Malaysia based in JB and have NKF tie up with SBS to run the charter service. It's not financially viable to run treatment centers here.
Our costs are so ridiculous. It's so much cheaper next door. All it takes is just a cheap bus ride. So what can we achieve:

Charter bus ride to and fro to JB: S$20 max
Dialysis treatment cost: S$50/session (non-subsidised rate)
Total: S$70 per session.
Savings: S$92 per session.

Surely this is achievable.

Idea

SnowFlag SG

continue to enjoy close ties with MIW? Rolling Eyes

robertteh SG

The leaders have been trying to import foreign talents to replace local talents without drawing the line to avoid malpractices of employers in saving some smaller wages as a way to tell the people they must change and it is not their fault in not turning up the economic competitiveness.

They are now outsourcing the lower-level services allowing contractors to take over the direct employments in M&E or Car Parking services but not the higher officers and CEOs. If they start outsourcing the officers at the higher level, eventually, they are worried the leaders will also be outsourced.

That seems to be the reason for our very high costs in Dialysis. It will take some major forces to compel the change at the higher level like what has happened to PSA and SIA.

Goh Yong Qin SG

Good idea.
1st phase - Start with patients living in the North.
2nd phase - Relocate dialysis centres to JB.
3rd phase - Rasie the funds there.

robertteh SG

Our leaders always ask people to think creative and out of the box. Do they try to be creative or think out of the box in the way they are trying to stop our citizens from patronizing JB petrol kiosks or provision shops.

What is wrong in the first place with citizens buying cheaper stuff or services from JB. To me if the citizens can save monies, only certain businesses may be affected may be a few companies like our petrol kiosks but these are compensated by our citizens's savings thereby increasing their spending powers to pay for other services to support local businesses. The leaders must not just help the petrol companies or provision shops but think out of the box about our citizens greater spending powers which will increase the purchases of our own products and services from such greater spending powers. JB residents will in turn come over with their greater earnings to spend in Singapore.

It is common sense citizens will increase their spending power by chartering buses for kidney patients to seek cheaper treatments in JB. To begin with, let us license one tour operator to specialize in this. The tour operator can ply certain routes to pick such patients on schedule without hassle and should be able to turn it into a business. At the least, patients can have the alternative of fixing certain common pick-up point in the central or south to start such service.

Heartlander SG

To further save the overhead cost of running NKF, donors should petiton to tell NKF to sell its hotel like NKF headquarter or rent it out to get some income, in fact NKF administrative units should move to a more humble location to reflect its image of a charitable organisation.

To outsource its kidney dialysis operation to JB is something which our government could not swallow as our dignity is at risk and they will tell you that it is not feasible! Singapore is trying very hard to build a reputation of a medical centre in the far east as they have even gone to the extent of taking the risk of trying to separate two adult conjoint twin in the past, how could they allow such simple dialysis operation to relocate to JB?

macjoe SG

Wait. Does the government own or fund NKF in any way?

If it doesn't, should the government have a big say in NKF?

Tell me, how is my out-of-the-box vision and idea unsound and unviable?
If it makes some people look bad, too bad. It's time to operate on lean, not fat budgets/donations anymore.

How does that compare with what's presented by the current board, Chairman and interim CEO?

Their plan charges $162/session on the patient.
KDF? probably less.

My plan charges $70/session!

Idea

Goh Yong Qin SG

Although I like your $70/ session but I think it cannot be achieved in the short term with this current NKF set-up. i.e. the current rate is $1,362 including subsidy.

The new CEO’s objective is to reduce this figure of $1,362. He/She should not look at fund raising and expansion similar to the Durai guy. They can look at night time dialysis to utilize their equipment.

macjoe SG

Imo, it can be achieved in less than 6 months (if not 3 mths) - $70/session.

When things are looked at within the box, new CEO, big board, big buildings, hundreds of staff, more donations are so needed.

But when you start looking at it from without the box, those things really aren't necessary and they don't help lighten patient's financial burden.

Imo, it has to be overhauled completely like a change of "dynasty".

Idea

robertteh SG

The previous Health Minister said there was nothing he could do to lower medical costs because of %$#@*.

He even formed a parliamentary committee to challenge opposition MPs to prove him wrong.

Why was the medical costs subsequently reduced by taking out all the unessentials which the previous minister simply failed to do. So he had covered the high-cost or creative accounting after all and not because medical costs must be high or there was nothing he could do.

Because of NKF - denials and not telling the truth and not being open and accountable. The high costs of HDB flats and bus fares charged by the bus companies apparently are similar examples of problems not solved but covered up with excuses about rising wages and what-nots.

Why are our leaders doing all these times with such denials and do-nothing ministers covering up problems?

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