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Treatment

What is Haemodialysis?

Haemodialysis is a way of cleansing the blood of toxins, extra salt and fluids through a dialysis machine. It helps maintain proper chemical balance such as potassium, sodium and chloride and keeps blood pressure under control.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does Haemodialysis work?

Start of Dialysis

Before dialysis begins, 2 needles will be inserted into the vascular access, one to remove the blood and the other to return cleansed blood to the body.

The patient is connected (via tubing) to the dialysis machine through a vein in the arm, the blood is pumped from the body to a special filter (dialyser), which is made of tiny capillaries.

During Dialysis

Blood is continuously pumped through the dialyser, where waste products and excess water are removed.

The blood becomes purified when the waste products diffuse from the blood across the membrane of these tiny capillaries in the dialyser. Purified blood is then returned to the patient’s body through larger tubes.

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Dialysis Frequency

Haemodialysis is performed thrice a week at the dialysis centre, with each session lasting about 4 hours, depending on the body size and medical condition.

At NKF, patients choose between 2 sessions i.e. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. They can also choose the morning, afternoon or evening timeslot.

2. When to start Haemodialysis?

Doctor will guide and decide when it’s time to start dialysis, which is mainly based upon symptoms, the test results (which reflects the function of kidneys and complications due to failing kidneys) and overall health.

Prior to HD initiation, a surgery, for creating an access, is required to prepare a blood vessel for attachment to the machine.

There are three different types of access:

  • Arteriovenous fistula (AVF)
  • Arteriovenous graft (AVG)
  • Central venous catheter

While AVF and AVG has some time limitation before they can be used for HD, the central venous catheter can be used immediately after placement.

3. Where will I have Haemodialysis?

Haemodialysis can be either done at home or at dedicated dialysis centres. In Singapore Haemodialysis is mostly done in dialysis centre. Haemodialysis centres (HDC) are located in community where patient travel to and fro for each dialysis session. There are nurses and rounding doctors in the dialysis centre for every treatment session, monitoring and further management.

 

4. What problems can happen with haemodialysis?

There can be problems related to access, like blockage, infection or malfunction when dialysis cannot be performed and thus requires hospital admission for corrective intervention.

There can also be some problems during dialysis treatment like having muscle cramps in legs or abdomen, giddiness nausea or vomiting with fluctuation in blood pressure during dialysis sessions. Doctor and nurses in Dialysis centre will manage and treat these problems.

 

5. Do I still have to visit the doctor in hospital?

Follow up with hospital based doctors still continues, though the visits required are less frequent once on maintenance three times a week haemodialysis.

 

Other types of treatment options of kidney failure can be discussed in further details with doctor to know how they might work for individual.

One might even decide not for any active treatment in kidney failure, known as palliative conservative care, when only supportive treatment is offered, this as name self-explains has significant limitation in life expectancy.

Patients who opt for conservative palliative care may survive days to weeks without dialysis, depending on the amount of kidney function they have, the severity of symptoms and the overall medical condition.

The choice for further management is mainly patient’s decision. 

NKF Dialysis Centre Locations

As part of our on-going community integration efforts, NKF aims to bring dialysis closer to patients' homes. Currently, NKF has 41 dialysis centres located Singapore.

Thrive On

With their stories of strength, hope and courage, our patients offer inspiration to fellow patients, families, friends, doctors and nurses.

Admission Eligibility & Cost Structure

All applicants will undergo financial assessment through a comprehensive means test.

Eating Right for Dialysis Patients

A well-balanced diet is essential for dialysis patients to stay fit as their kidneys are no longer functioning at its full capacity.

Keeping Fit for Dialysis Patient

Exercise is effective in the management and control of chronic illnesses, and also helps you to de-stress. Learn more about the types and intensity of exercises that are best suited for you.
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FAQ

General Enquiries

As there are limited car park lots available at NKF Centre visitors may need to park at the nearby HDB car parks in the vicinity.

NKF HQ Mondays –Thursdays
Fridays
PH / Weekends
8.30am –6.00pm
8.30am –5.00pm
Closed
Dialysis Centres Mondays –Saturdays
Sundays
PH
7.00am –11.00pm
Closed
7.00am –11.00pm

We are open on most public holidays except for the 1st day of Chinese New Year.

NKF does not provide ad hoc dialysis treatment. Our patients are on long-term dialysis treatment. You may wish to check with private dialysis centres for ad hoc dialysis treatments.

NKF does not have an outpatient clinic and hence, we are unable to arrange an appointment for members of the public. You may wish to contact a hospital of your choice for outpatient service.

Currently, NKF does not provide health report interpretation service. You may consult your General Practitioner who will be able to assist you.

Someone with kidney failure may not experience any signs and symptoms until it is too late. It is best to do a routine health screening to understand your health status better and detect any abnormalities as early as possible so that you can delay and manage the disease progression.

To know about the signs and symptoms please click here to learn more.

Decreased urination Swollen hands and ankles Sleep disturbances
Blood in the urine (tea-coloured or fresh blood) Puffiness around the eyes High blood pressure
Nausea and vomiting Itching Loss of appetite

All dialysis centres operate on 3 dialysis shifts –morning, noon and evening.

Morning Noon Evening
7.00am –12.00pm 12.00pm – 6.00pm 6.00pm –11.00pm
Timing of your dialysis schedule may vary for each dialysis centres.
Schedules
Monday, Wednesday and Friday (1,3,5) OR Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (2,4,6)

Admissions

Our Admissions Counsellor will contact you once your application is finalised. They will be in contact with you soon.

From the day we receive the application form, it will take approximately 3 working days to a week for us to get back to you if you have submitted all completed supporting documents together with your application form to us. Generally, the whole process will take 6 months for the approval.

The overall application review process will take approximately 6 months before the applicant can start the first dialysis treatment. However, if the applicant is able to provide all completed supporting documents and if there is a slot available at the dialysis centre with a right match to the time slot, the waiting time could be shorter.

Currently, we do not have status checking service online. NKF Admissions Counsellor will be in contact with the applicants regarding the status.

You may pick it up from the NKF main office at 81 Kim Keat Road, Singapore 328836 or call us at 6506 2187 to have the forms sent to you.

Means Test is used to determine the amount of subsidies each person needing care is eligible for. Persons from lower income households will be granted higher subsidies under the means test framework.

Means Test subsidies calculation is based in accordance to MOH guidelines.

Our NKF Admissions Counsellor in-charge will contact you in regards to your means test status.

The Medical Social Workers at your hospital will be able to advise you on the different type of subsidies based on your financial situation.

Kidney Live Donor Support Fund

For information on kidney donation in Singapore, you may wish to contact the National Organ Transplant Unit at Tel: 6321 4390 or email organ.transplant@notu.com.sg.

NKF’s Kidney Live Donor Support Fund covers annual health screenings and medical follow-ups; one-time reimbursement for loss of 2 months actual income of $8,500, whichever is lower: reimbursement of hospitalisation and surgical insurance premiums (capped at MediShield Life premiums); pre-transplant screening and evaluation costs for up to 2 potential donors per kidney recipient; and insurance coverage for Group Living. Policy based on sum insured of $200,000.

For more information and eligibility, please click here. 

Donation & Volunteering

You can make the donation through different platforms:

  1. For online donation: please visit https://nkfs.org/support-us/donation-programmes/
  2. Or you may like to issue a cheque made payable to “The National Kidney Foundation” or “NKF” and mail it to us at 81 Kim Keat Road, Singapore 328836.
  3. Alternatively, you may contact us at 1800-KIDNEYS (5436397) or email us at lifedrops@nkfs.org to send you the donation form.
  4. Road Singapore 328836.

Thank you for your generosity. The cheque should be issued to “The National Kidney Foundation” or “NKF”.

Thank you for bequeathing your CPF contributions to NKF. You can fill up the CPF nomination form which can be downloaded from the CPF website. NKF’s UEN is 200104750M.

Thank you for your generosity. You may like to visit the Ministry of Law’s website where you can find a list of lawyers based in Singapore. Please visit https://eservices.mlaw.gov.sg/lsra/search-lawyer-or-law-firm/

Our UEN/ Company Registration No. / GST Registration No. is 200104750M.

Please send us an email at lifedrops@nkfs.org or call us at 1800-KIDNEYS (5436397) and we will assist you accordingly.

You may email your new mailing address to lifedrops@nkfs.org , Please include your full name, contact number, old mailing address and UEN or NRIC/FIN (last 3 digits)

You may email us at lifedrops@nkfs.org to get the donation form. Please fill up your new GIRO/credit card number, donation amount and sign the form. Thereafter, post the GIRO form back to NKF for processing.

For credit card, you may wish to scan the form and send it to NKF via either of these options:

Email – lifedrops@nkfs.org

Fax – 6253 0417

Mail – 81 Kim Keat Road, Singapore 328836

Please email us at lifedrops@nkfs.org with your full name, UEN/NRIC/FIN and mailing address.

Please email us at lifedrops@nkfs.org to have the termination form sent to you. Please fill it up and send it back to us for processing and auditing purposes.

All outright cash donations to NKF are entitled to tax deduction because NKF is a registered charity with an IPC (Institutions of Public Character) status. We are able to issue tax deductible receipts for qualifying donations to our donors.

You are entitled to a tax deduction of 2.5 times the value of your donation in the preceding year.

You may sign up via our website at https://onlinereg.nkfs.org/vms/volunteerapplicationform.aspx.

If you do not have access to the internet, please call us at 1800-KIDNEYS (5436397) to have the application form sent to you. Please fill it up and send it back to us at 81 Kim Keat Road Singapore 328836.

Once we receive your application, our colleague from the Donor and Volunteer Management Department will contact you for a phone interview. After which, you will be invited to attend our volunteer orientation. This is to allow you to have a better understanding of the volunteering activities.

The minimum age is 13 years old. For volunteers who are below the age of 21, you will need to get parental consent. You may download the consent form here.

We strongly encourage our volunteers to commit at least a year so that we can better support our patients. Our programmes and activities are flexible, you can choose your volunteering schedule according to your interest and availability.

You may volunteer with us basing on your availability. We will send a weekly email to our volunteers indicating the up-coming volunteering opportunities. You can then match your availability to the activity schedule.

We have an array of volunteering activities to suit your interest and availability. To learn more about the volunteering activities we offer, please visit https://nkfs.org/support-us/volunteer-programmes/.

Anyone and everyone can join us as a volunteer. All applicants will be required to undergo a mandatory orientation session where you will gain insights into the Foundation’s cause, kidney disease as well as learn more about the volunteering activities we offer. Regular trainings are also conducted for all volunteers so that they can better perform their role.

Most definitely! We welcome schools, companies and community groups to volunteer with us as part of their Values In Action and Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Please get in touch with us on your interest by sending an email to volunteer@nkfs.org.

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Notice

Thank you for visiting our website.

  1. Please be informed that Friends of NKF and Donation Portal will be temporarily unavailable on Sunday,10 March 2024 from 1:00am to 5:00am and Sunday,17 March 2024 from 8:00am to 8:00pm. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
     
  2. All authorised procurement tenders or requests for proposal by NKF are exclusively posted on our official website. You may verify the information by visiting our official website or contacting us directly at contact_us@nkfs.org.