Enhancing corporate governance, accountability and transparency,
improving patient care and reducing operating costs to pass on
savings to patients.
These are some of the changes that have kicked in since the new
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) board took over four months ago
following the resignations of its former CEO Mr T T Durai and the
entire NKF board.
The new Board gave this progress report at its first Annual General
Meeting on Wednesday.
The charity has been restructured into 24 departments reporting to
six divisional leaders, compared to 48 department heads answering
to just the CEO previously.
The Board said the old structure concentrated too much power in one
man.
Before, there was no proper budgeting with purchases approved on an
ad-hoc basis.
Now, there are clear policies on finance procedures, with corporate
credit cards cancelled.
Some legal contracts which were signed by the former management
have also been terminated.
Some of these contracts were unfavourable to the charity which is
also trying to recover payments in certain cases.
And to ensure transparency, it has also kept an open channel of
communication to inform the public and donors about changes,
including releasing its audited financial accounts for 2004 online
at www.nkfs.org.
But the main priority, says the Board, is caring for the
patients.
Dialysis costs have been reduced from $200 to $162 per
session.
Medication fees have also been reduced with rebates passed on to
patients, with haemopoeitin injections costing 30% less now and
saving patients $60,000 per month.
The NKF is also building two new dialysis centres at Ang Mo Kio and
Woodlands to cater to growing demand.
Staff numbers have been reduced some 21% to 677 now, all part of
efforts to right size the NKF.
An independent audit by KPMG into NKF's affairs was commissioned in
July.
It is expected to be made public in the middle of next month. -
CNA/ir
