Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Kidney Dialysis Foundation Millennium Ride 2016 Closing Ceremony, 18 January 2016

Dr Gordon Ku, Chairman of KDF

Directors of KDF

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening.  It is my pleasure to join you this evening to welcome home 60 cyclists from Epic Cyclist Group who have just completed an arduous 1,000 kilometres journey. We are also gathered here this evening to celebrate the Kidney Dialysis Foundation’s 20^th anniversary.

Epic Cyclists

2.           I am very heartened to hear that this is the third year that the Epic Cyclists have chosen to dedicate their ride to help raise funds for needy patients who are undergoing dialysis treatment at KDF’s dialysis centres. It is no mean feat to complete a 1,000 kilometres cycling ride that spans over four days, clocking more than 10 hours on the road every day.  The Epic Cyclists have admirably risen to the challenge and made it home safely.  I was told that the 60 cyclists are of diverse backgrounds and ages.  The oldest cyclist, Mr Peter Sng Hong Soh, is 63 years old and this is his third year participating in the ride. This shows us that there are no boundaries to going the distance to help the less privileged and doing our part for charity.  

KDF’s 20^th Anniversary

3.           I would also like to congratulate Dr Gordon Ku and his team at KDF on KDF’s 20^th anniversary and for their 20 years of service and contributions to the community.

4.           KDF has come a long way since it opened its first haemodialysis centre at Alexandra Hospital 20 years ago, with only three directors and one full-time employee. Today, KDF runs three haemodialysis centres and one peritoneal dialysis centre with 24 staff, serving 340 dialysis patients annually. Over the past 20 years, KDF has provided subsidised dialysis services to more than 800 patients.  

Preventive Efforts

5.           Singapore sees four new cases of end-stage kidney failure each day. Besides providing haemodialysis services to better help existing patients, we need to also look at upstream initiatives to curtail the growing number of kidney failure cases in Singapore.  In this aspect, KDF has been actively educating the community on kidney diseases by conducting public forums and workplace talks, as well as distributing health brochures.

6.           Beyond these preventive efforts, KDF also collaborated with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to set up a KDF-NUS Research Fund. The Fund aims to support research work that leads to the prevention and cure of kidney failure due to diabetes and other complications.  The KDF-NUS Research Fund is currently supporting a NUS research project that focuses on finding alternative treatment methods for diabetes, which is a leading cause of kidney failure in Singapore.

Peritoneal Dialysis Promotion Efforts

7.           I am also glad that KDF has its own peritoneal dialysis (PD) centre, located at Ghim Moh Road.  At the PD centre, there are dedicated nurses to help coach and train patients to carry out the PD exchanges independently, in the comfort of their own homes. In doing so, PD patients would enjoy greater flexibility that PD offers as they would not be restricted to the schedules of the haemodialysis centres. This is in line with the Ministry of Health’s efforts to promote patients’ uptake of PD and to empower them to take charge of their kidney condition and treatments.  In addition, PD patients can also visit KDF’s PD clinic for regular reviews by a visiting doctor.  

Conclusion

8.           Once again, I will like to thank KDF and the Epic Cyclist Group for their efforts in helping the needy kidney patients at KDF.  I wish KDF all the best as you continue your journey to care for kidney patients.  Have an enjoyable evening.