Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the Launch of NKF Dialysis Centre

Mr Koh Poh Tiong, NKF Chairman

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

           I am pleased to be with you this morning for the official opening of the Jo & Gerry Essery - NKF Dialysis Centre. I want to thank NKF for agreeing to set up this Centre when we mooted the idea in 2016 for residents living in and around Marsiling.

I am also glad to note that since it opened in May 2018, the centre has served 80 patients, of whom nine are working patients. Fully equipped with 22 dialysis stations, the centre can benefit 132 patients at steady state.

The convenience of the centre has resulted in reduced travelling time and cost for patients when they go for their dialysis treatments. In addition, there is a market and kopitiam nearby, where patients are able to have their meals in between dialysis appointments. As part of NKF’son-going community integration efforts, 91% of the patients are located within 5km of the dialysis centre.

Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate NKF as it celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year. NKF is an example of how a charitable organisation, guided by its strong sense of mission and social responsibility, has grown from strength to strength with the support of the community - people from all walks of life like the late Jo & Gerry Essery – to benefit the less fortunate in society. Their generosity and compassionate legacy will benefit kidney patients for generations to come.

Over the past five decades, NKF has upheld its mission to tackle the burden of kidney failure by rendering a comprehensive suite of services to support kidney patients, from prevention to treatment and management. This includes conducting public education programmes to prevent kidney diseases, providing quality, affordable dialysis treatment, and promoting kidney transplant. 

As it expands its haemodialysis services in the community, I am heartened to know that NKF is also supporting the national Peritoneal Dialysis-preferred strategy for more sustainable dialysis care for patients with kidney failure.  Studies have shown that Peritoneal Dialysis is more cost-effective, convenient and provide other lifestyle benefits for patients, while producing clinical outcomes comparable to haemodialysis.  We therefore hope that more patients will opt for Peritoneal Dialysis over time. 

On the preventive front, I am glad to note that NKF is stepping up on various education and upstream prevention initiatives to raise awareness of kidney diseases and curb the onset of kidney failure.  While the Government can continue to encourage Singaporeans to lead healthier lifestyles, it is community partners like NKF who give this an extra boost by strengthening upstream prevention such as screening, prevention of risk factors through healthy eating and exercise, and delaying the progression to end-stage kidney failures. I also encourage individuals to play our part by making changes to our lifestyle and eating habits like eating healthier options at the food courts, and go for regular screening for the early detection of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. I urge the residents to go for the screening programmes that the grassroots leaders and volunteers organise regularly. It is also part of the prevention efforts to follow through when one is recommended to follow-up after the screening.  

It is also reassuring to know that NKF is committed to deliver all-rounded care for kidney patients, moving beyond dialysis treatment to taking care of their psychosocial and emotional needs. This is especially important as many patients are getting older and frailer.

According to a recent research carried out by the National Healthcare Group, the number of frail patients in Singapore has increased from 36,208 in 2010 to 49,092 in 2017 – a 36 per cent increase. The risk of frailty increases with age, and we all know that Singapore is greying at a faster pace.

I understand that more than half of NKF’s patient population are above 60 years old. At this age group, the risk of falls is higher.  Each fall may result in repeated falls over time due to reasons such as weakened reflexes and muscles. Hence patients may have to depend on a walker or wheelchair, and restrict their mobility due to the fear of falling.  They may also miss dialysis sessions and suffer a compromised quality of life.

One-third of the falls among the elderly were caused by their environment and inappropriate footwear. Other reasons include poor safety awareness and vision impairment. The best cure? Prevention.

I am therefore pleased to know that NKF has implemented a Fall Prevention Programme in 2016 to help its elderly and frail patients. As part of the programme, NKF has produced a guide on preventing falls – containing a simple fall risk checklist, information on the consequences of falling, a home safety checklist to identify potential hazards, tips on how to reduce risk of falls by making simple changes to daily activities and more. We can always assist our parents or grandparents to translate and to make them understand how they can apply the information.

Following the implementation of the Fall Prevention Programme, the monthly average number of falls amongst the NKF patients was reduced from 8.33 to 7.24.  This translated to a 13% overall reduction in falls from January 2017 to October 2017. When the number of falls reduced, the chances of them missing dialysis was correspondingly reduced, and NKF had seen a 66% improvement in missed dialysis sessions.

What is more meaningful about this programme is that it involves volunteers. All volunteers are trained and equipped with educational materials, relevant knowledge and skills. So far, 22 volunteers have been recruited.

61-year-old Madam Lau Heng Ing, a Marsiling resident who has been on dialysis for 12 years, is one such patient who benefitted from the Fall Prevention Programme. Madam Lau has diabetes, relies on a walking aid and wears special foot wear due to her medical condition and weak legs. She had two falls in the past 10 years, with a recent fall in 2017. Both Madam Lau’s husband and daughter are working and are unable to keep watch on her 24/7. NKF has been working closely with her and her caregivers to minimise her falls within and outside her home.

Every stakeholder that NKF works with plays a valuable role in weaving a strong tapestry of social and economic support in ensuring that healthcare is accessible and affordable to all and lives are improved. It costs two million to set up a dialysis centre, and another two million to run the centre per year. It is a challenge to raise funds, but NKF is doing very good work in doing so.   Together, let us continue to build a healthier, happier and more resilient Singapore. I wish NKF many more decades of good work ahead.

Thank you.