NKF to offer night dialysis at new Jurong West centre

SINGAPORE — The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) yesterday announced a new dialysis centre to be opened in Jurong West by July next year, one of six centres the foundation has planned. It will also be one of the first NKF centres to offer an additional night dialysis shift.

The new shift — running from 11pm to 6am — is intended to help patients who require longer hours of dialysis. In addition to the Jurong West centre, the NKF has also selected its Hougang centre to provide night dialysis for patients in the east.

While patients usually require four-hour dialysis sessions, the night shift will allow patients to undergo dialysis for six to eight hours. The longer session removes toxic wastes and fluid at a slower pace and is gentler on the heart, reducing the risk of heart attacks.

The NKF expects demand for the night shift to grow, as diabetes and hypertension become more common in an ageing population.

Mr Wong Kwit Sen, who has been a dialysis patient for four years, said he would consider going for longer night dialysis. Longer sessions would be “smoother” and safer for his heart, said the 58-year-old, who also has diabetes and high blood pressure.

The new centre, to be sited at Jurong West Street 91, will help ease patient load at the existing five centres in the western region, which are almost at full capacity, said the NKF.

Figures it provided showed that about 117 patients who live or work in the west are unable to find available slots for treatment at their preferred centre. With 16 dialysis stations, the Jurong West centre will be able to serve 96 needy patients.

The NKF’s centres currently operate on three shifts starting from 7am in the morning and ending at 11pm at night. With each patient coming in three times a week, the additional shift in the Jurong West centre will be able to serve 32 more patients each week, bringing the total number to 128.

The new centre was funded with a S$2 million sponsorship from the Sirivadhanabhakdi Foundation, established by the family of Thai tycoons Charoen and Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi. Laura Philomin