About Kidney Dialysis Foundation of Singapore

In the 1980s, the then government-funded programme - Self-Dependency Dialysis Unit (SDDU) provides subsidised dialysis treatment for lower income patients in Singapore. To reduce costs, patients had to provide a dialysis helper who was usually their immediate family members. Patients and their helpers spent long hours seeking treatment, disabling them from seeking full-time employment and therefore leaving them trapped in the poverty cycle.

In 1996, Dr Gordon Ku founded the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) in view of this, with the support of the Ministry of Health, to make treatment fees more affordable to these low-income patients. KDF revamped the SDDU programme, provided trained dialysis helpers to patients, enabling their family members to seek full-time employment. Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) was established with the commitment to provide high quality, subsidised dialysis for the most needy members of our community, the majority of thier patients are from the bottom 10% income group of kidney patients in Singapore. KDF is a non-profit charitable organisation and is not related to any other kidney organisation in Singapore.

KDF’s mission is to ensure that kidney patients do not suffer premature death due to the lack of funds for dialysis. 90% of the patients at KDF pay less than $600 per month as opposed to over $2,000 actual treatment cost of dialysis. KDF has treated over 350 patients, of which 32 have received kidney transplant. About 250 patients benefit from KDF and annually 3.5 million is needed finance their operations to assist the patients.

Medical social workers from restructured hospitals refer patients from the bottom 10% income group to the KDF. Most of these patients hold jobs such as taxi drivers, hawker assistants, cleaners, and store assistants.

One of the most important factor that differentiates the KDF from other non-profit organisations is that thier commitment to serve the poor and needy is shown by tangible action - thier Chairman, Board of Directors and Executive Committee do not receive any form of remuneration or honorarium from the foundation. KDF does not have a Chief Executive Officer and they only have 20 staff. The organisation depends on volunteers who step forward to render their support in terms of finances and services.

For the financial year 2004/05, 84.1% of the funds received by KDF was used in financial support in the form of dialysis services and education. 15% were used in Fund-raising related activities as well as administration, while only 1% was spent on publicity.

If you wish to make a direct contribution to KDF, you may contact them through their webiste at

click here to find out more about our charity teambuilding game - änergy rags 2 riches

related team building articles:

team building and team bonding
o.p.t.i.m.a.l. approach to team building activities
multiple intellengence and team building
why team building activities always involve games