11/28/2006

kdf and surplus fund for research?

Charity and KDF The last uproar was about NKF. Today a letter to the Straits Times forum by Lau Hwee Tiang commented (better not say complained) that KDF is thinking of using its surplus fund to conduct research. KDF is facing declining number of patients and now has more money than it needs. So it must find other ways of using its surpluses. Can this be true? Think about it. Charity money to help kidney patients but to be used for research. Does KDF has such flexibility to do so? If it does, why doesn't it just donate the money to NUH or NUS? Why the need to do research on an area it has no expertise, as mentioned by Lau Hwee Tiang? Does it mean that when it runs out of fund to help patients or for the research, it should then go on another charity drive? Managing public fund has a heavy responsibility and the public who donated money deserves to have good, sensible and responsible people to manage such funds for the purpose in which the fund is supposed to use for.

1 comment:

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

kdf has explained that they will seek the consent of the donors before using the donations for something that was not intended eg research.

agree that it is a philosophy thing. asking for donations to help or to do research to cure the disease or sickness. under this philosophy, the two kidney foundation should set up research centres on kidney diseases and problems. the association of the blind should set up research centres on blindness, the spastic children society should set up research centres on spastic children.

there will be research centres on aids, cancer, tb, old age etc etc. close down all the research centres in hospitals and universities. no need duplication of effort and resources.