Kidney patients get employment aid
Photo: NKF Facebook
SINGAPORE – The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) launched a new patient employment rehabilitation programme today (Nov 24) to help patients find suitable jobs within the foundation or with external employers.
The initiative, which received a S$2.3 million sponsorship from Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, is part of the NKF’s Patient Advocacy Programme. The latter was rolled out in 2013 to provide psycho-emotional support to needy patients.
Besides introducing a buddy system where Patient Advocates, who are kidney patients themselves, help new patients ease into their treatment, the NKF also provides customised exercise programmes and occupational therapy to help strengthen them physically.
One beneficiary of the newly launched programme is Mr Tan Eu Cheng, 59, who suffers from kidney failure. He quit his job as a taxi driver two years ago as he often felt unwell.
Mr Tan needed to continue working to help make ends meet, but it was challenging for him to find a suitable job because of his medical condition, age, and thrice weekly dialysis schedule.
Through the patient employment rehabilitation programme, Mr Tan has been employed as a Patient Relations Officer at one of the NKF’s dialysis centres since early this month. He said: “Being an NKF patient ... I know first-hand the needs of fellow patients and am in a good position to help them.”
Currently, 18 patients are employed by the foundation, making up 1.8 per cent of its employees. The programme aims to have 50 patients employed by the end of next year, and to have 120 by the end of the third year.
At the launch event today, six kidney patients who have continued to persevere in their jobs were presented with the Courage Award.
Their employers also received the Extraordinary Employer Award in recognition of their compassion and understanding towards kidney patients.
