05 Feb 2012
By: JUDITH TAN
When asked about organ transplants and its laws, eight in 10 Singaporeans are stumped, especially when it comes to the details.
These include the removal of organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and corneas under the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota); and the choice to opt out.
These are the findings of a cross- sectional survey carried out in 2010 to determine the level of awareness of Hota and its relation to altruism.
About 1,500 patients at the SingHealth polyclinics were asked four multiple-choice questions on what Hota is, how familiar they are with the law, who is included and the opt-out option.
This study was one of the clinical research projects carried out under the Venerable Yen Pei-NKF Research Fund, established by the Singapore Buddhist Welfare Services.
The $8 million fund was specifically set up in 2007 for research in kidney diseases.
Administered by the National Kidney Foundation’s NKF Research Committee, 74 research grants worth $5 million have been given out to date.
More than 20 research papers under the grant were presented at the NKF First Scientific Meeting held at the NKF Centre yesterday.
Using the analogy of two doctors on a river bank – one plucking victims directly from the waters, with the other building a barrier upstream to prevent people from falling in – guest of honour Tan Chorh Chuan, president of National University of Singapore, said caring for renal patients is very much like that.
He said while some treat the disease and the other conditions that coexist with renal failure, there is a need for clinical research upstream to help stem the problem.
Speaking in the same vein, Associate Professor Evan Lee, senior director (clinical) at NKF, examined the present status of patients and gave a sneak peek into the foundation’s future plans.
He said with a rapidly greying community, the profile of patients undergoing dialysis has changed – from those who were still in their prime to the elderly.
Of the 372 patients assessed in 2010, about half were above the age of 60; one in three needed help in moving around; and more than one in two suffered other conditions that coexist with their kidney failure.
On top of this, one in three were malnourished, using a subjective global assessment score system.
Prof Lee said there are plans to up the ante in several areas, including giving more nutritional support and increasing home-based peritoneal dialysis to cut down reliance on haemodialysis.
Peritoneal dialysis uses a membrane inside the body as a filter to clear wastes and extra fluid, while in haemodialysis, the blood circulates outside the body of the patient and goes through a machine that has special filters.
As for the survey, its principal researcher Terence Kee said the findings indicate a need to extend Hota education to schools, and take it on roadshows to the heartlands.
Email: juditht@sph.com.sg
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