extracted from CNA.
SINGAPORE : The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has recently
opened its accounts for all to see.
On Thursday, it revealed that its reserves will only last about six
years.
It is doing this in the hope of mending public confidence.
41-year-old renal nurse Xu Chun has never been ashamed of donning
her NKF uniform.
But since the NKF saga broke out in July, she has been mindful not
to put on her NKF name tag in public places.
Xu Chun is not alone in suffering the backlash of public anger over
the mismanagement of NKF's former CEO.
"My colleague wanted to rent a room but once the owner knew she was
from NKF, she said no. And some of my other colleagues say some
people threw eggs at the centre's doors," said Xu, who is the
Acting Charge Nurse of New Creation Church-NKF Dialysis
Centre.
But there are others out there who are still supportive of the
charity.
"Early last month, an uncle walked in and wanted to donate $200. I
was surprised and asked him why. He just said patients still need
our support. I was really moved," said Nurse Xu.
In support of NKF, one of its past donors - the Thong Teck Sian
Tong Lian Sin Sia Temple in Woodlands - has donated $100,000 to
help kidney patients switch to peritoneal dialysis.
For past NKF donors like the New Creation Church, which gave
$2.6million to build this dialysis centre four years ago, kidney
patients' welfare is its main concern.
"As long as money raised is for the benefit of the patients, we'll
still go ahead. This is regardless of how much they have in
reserves as long as the reserves are accounted for and the money
goes to the patient," said Deacon Matthew Kang of New Creation
Church.
And this is the kind of attitude NKF hopes the public would adopt -
to help it deliver its main mission of caring for kidney
patients.
