Tzu Chi and NKF held an MOU signing ceremony at Jing Si Hall, Singapore. From left: Senior Director of NKF Corporate Services, Chia Miang Yeow, Chief Executive Officer of NKF, Tim Oei, Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore) CEO, Low Swee Seh and Head of Tzu Chi Charity Development Department, Khoo Jyh Hao
Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore) is about to launch its first Renal Dialysis Centre. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) will partner with Tzu Chi to provide the first batch of nurses and non-clinical staff at the dialysis centre with free professional training to enhance their knowledge and skills in renal care.
Tzu Chi and NKF held a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony at Jing Si Hall, Singapore, on 29 Mar 2023. In the spirit of charity and mutual aid, NKF has waived the training fees for Tzu Chi. This is the first time that NKF is providing free training for a renal dialysis centre set up by a non-profit organisation.
The renal dialysis centre to be located at Buangkok Crescent is expected to commence operation in the fourth quarter of the year. The 6-week programme to begin next month aims to train nurses, social workers, physiotherapists and support staff in areas of hardware facilities, daily operations and administration.
In view of the alarming rise in the rate of kidney failure cases in Singapore, to ensure that kidney failure patients have access to dialysis, Mr Tim Oei, NKF Chief Executive Officer, commented at the MOU signing ceremony that the two non-profit organisations would create a greater impact through their collaboration.
Tzu Chi has been caring for underprivileged dialysis patients for 18 years and NKF had provided customised training courses for Tzu Chi staff and volunteers in the past. Mr Tim Oei affirmed Tzu Chi's dedication to renal care patients by saying: “We are very encouraged by our experience with Tzu Chi through the volunteer training. And the many years Tzu Chi has given to support patients when they are just discharged from the hospital before they come into NKF. We are prepared to help Tzu Chi because we feel there is close DNA between the two organisations, both care for the patients, and both want the patients to do better.”
Mr Tim Oei emphasised that “this partnership is not about NKF helping Tzu Chi. It is about the partnership and how we work together and help each other to help the patients and more importantly, the whole family.”
According to NKF’s data, about six people are diagnosed with kidney failure every day, a threefold increase from 20 years ago.
About 40 people are present at the signing ceremony. NKF CEO, Mr Tim Oei (speaker in red on stage) hopes that the two non-profit organisations would work together to benefit more low-income renal friends and create a greater impact.
Low Swee Seh, CEO of Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), thanked NKF for providing the free training, which has not only helped to organise the nursing, social service and administration teams of Tzu Chi's first dialysis centre promptly but has also created a new public welfare collaboration model for local dialysis patients. He also looks forward to combining Tzu Chi's years of experience in caring for the underprivileged with NKF's expertise to extend the reach of support to more needy dialysis patients.
"Thanks to NKF's invaluable support as we prepare to launch our first dialysis centre this year, the latest collaboration will help to strengthen the centre’s operational capacity and allow it to perform its best in supporting renal care," said Low Swee Seh.
Since 2005, Tzu Chi has been providing financial and moral support to dialysis patients, including visiting them at home monthly and providing dialysis or transportation assistance to ease their transition. About $8.6 million worth of funding has been granted over the past 18 years to benefit more than 3,800 dialysis patients.
After signing the Memorandum of Understanding, the CEO of Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), Low Swee Seh (right) and Chief Executive Officer of NKF, Tim Oei (left) present souvenirs to each other to symbolise the two parties’ long-term partnership in community support.
A Joint Effort to Improve Dialysis Patients’ Quality of Life
The training for Tzu Chi will be entirely designed by NKF and will combine on-the-job training and classroom teaching. In an interview after the ceremony, Mr Tim Oei pointed out, “Renal nursing is more complex than just clinical parameters. So, there are a lot of practical things the nurses have to go through. There are also other aspects of operations of the dialysis centre that are more complex, like there is a lot of supply chain of the equipment, how you place patients in because you know, each patient will come three times a week, each week, and in a way, we start three shifts, 7 am and 11 pm, almost 24/7 they run. So, you need to get it down to the clockwork, otherwise, you jam up one, and the rest of the patients who come through also have complications. Dialysis is life-saving. You cannot compromise and cut short the training, so we do help them in clinical operations with the back end and also the treatment side.”
The training content not only includes hardware facilities, daily operations and administration but also hopes to focus on promoting the self-management ability of dialysis patients and assisting them in incorporating self-care into their lives in the long run. Mr Tim Oei further explained that renal care is not limited to dialysis treatment but also emphasises on the lifestyle and eating habits of the patients.
Tzu Chi Renal Dialysis Centre will also fill the gap in the demand for non-profit dialysis centres in the northeast, explained Khoo Jyh Hao, Head of Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore) Charity Development Department. The new dialysis centre aims to support economically and socially disadvantaged groups in the community. There is a shortage of non-profit dialysis centres operated by the Social Service Agencies (SSAs) in the northeast part of Singapore, so after several rounds of discussions with and evaluations by the Ministry of Health, Tzu Chi decided to set up the renal dialysis centre in Buangkok.
Mr Tim Oei, CEO of NKF, said, “Our philosophy is trying to put patients at a centre within 5 km of their homes. Why? They live within the community, and they spend so much time in the centre. We see a demand in the northeast area, we see needing support in that area, so I think for Tzu Chi to be in the northeast is critical at this point of time”.
The Tzu Chi community-based renal dialysis centre in Buangkok Crescent will have 16 dialysis stations that are expected to serve 96 patients.
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