This non-profit has been helping lower-income kidney patients for close to 30 years & most don’t need to pay a cent

For most people, kidneys are something we don’t think about—until something goes wrong.

Yet for many in Singapore, chronic kidney disease is a daily reality that can drastically change their health, lifestyle, and finances.

That’s where the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) steps in.

This non-profit organisation has been advocating for kidney health awareness, providing subsidised quality care, and dialysis treatments to lower-income kidney disease patients for almost three decades.

Founded on a vision to provide treatment access

KDF was founded in 1996 by Gordon Ku, a nephrologist: a medical doctor who specialises in treating kidney conditions.

After seeing kidney patients refuse treatment due to high dialysis costs, Ku wanted to ensure that all chronic kidney disease patients could access treatment without being prohibited by a lack of funds.

To realise this vision, Ku raised more than S$2 million and started KDF’s first dialysis centre in Alexandra Hospital.

By the end of its first decade of operations, it expanded to three dialysis centres and had treated over 380 patients.

Today, KDF operates four dialysis centres located in Bishan, Kreta Ayer, Ghim Moh and Admiralty Link.

Ku served as KDF’s chairperson until 2020 before stepping down due to health reasons, The Straits Times reported.

He passed away in 2023.

What makes Kidney Dialysis Foundation different?

KDF continues to function according to Ku’s founding vision.

According to their FY24/25 annual report, 68 per cent of its patients are from the lowest 10 per cent income group in Singapore, with a monthly income of less than S$1,500.

While all of its patients enjoy subsidies for dialysis, medication, and transportation, more than 80 per cent of them do not pay a cent due to KDF’s work.

What sets KDF apart from other renal charities is not the scale of its dialysis centre operations, but the patients it strives to serve and their commitment to supporting the needy through every stage of their kidney health journey.

Their work is guided by four key pillars, namely quality medical treatment, personalised care, comprehensive patient support, and education & advocacy.

Quality medical treatment

Dialysis treatment alone can cost about S$25,000 a year, but KDF ensures that patients receive the best treatment possible.

All of KDF’s dialysis machines are haemodiafiltration (HDF) capable, an advanced treatment that improves toxin removal, stabilises blood pressure, and reduces post-dialysis fatigue.

On top of dialysis, patients are also provided with essential medications, vaccinations, and supplements to support their long-term health.

Personalised care

Dialysis treatment is important, but it is only part of the picture.

KDF works to improve its patients’ quality of life through various patient welfare programmes that aim to improve the patients' physical, mental, and social health.

For example, to help patients remain physically active and counteract the effects of kidney disease, such as muscle wasting, KDF has been organising customised physiotherapy fall prevention programmes since 2019.

Its team of allied healthcare professionals ensures treatment is tailored to each patient’s physical and medical condition, lifestyle, and needs, to help them live as fully as possible despite their diagnosis.

Dietitians are also roped in to provide patients with nutritional advice to improve health and treatment outcomes.

Comprehensive Patient Support

Over 80 per cent of KDF’s patients receive full subsidies for dialysis, medication, and transport.

Here are some of the initiatives that KDF has:

• Portable subsidy programme for haemodialysis to support patients with complex medical conditions that doesn’t allow them to visit the dialysis centres.
• Adopt-A-Patient programme that provides a second-tier subsidy to help cover treatment fees to reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.
• Transport subsidy programme to help patients with mobility issues with their transportation costs, including wheelchair-accessible vehicles transport services.

Beyond dialysis care, KDF also runs programmes to foster social interaction and enhance the mental well-being of patients, recognising that emotional health is just as important as physical health.

In June 2025, the organisation organised an educational seminar for patients, focused on fall prevention, and rounded the day up with a hands-on culinary experience where they learned to make traditional ondeh ondeh and egg tarts.

Education & Advocacy

Preventing kidney disease is also just as important as treating it.

Through health talks, public events, and screenings, KDF promotes early detection and encourages preventive lifestyle habits.

Their outreach efforts also target at-risk groups, caregivers, and the wider community in a bid to get more people to be increasingly mindful of their health.

In March 2025, to celebrate World Kidney Day, they held a week-long exhibition in Sun Plaza which included free health screenings, fitness sessions and public talks for all to attend.

Powered by the community

KDF primarily relies on donations and fundraising efforts to provide highly subsidised dialysis treatments for needy kidney patients in Singapore.

As part of its flagship “Got To” series, KDF also organises community events such as Got To Walk, Got To Bowl, and Got To Ride, which invite the public to embrace active, healthy lifestyles and learn more about kidney health and disease prevention.

In addition to these lifestyle-focused events, KDF also hosts annual fundraising dinners—gala evenings that bring together donors, corporate partners, patients, and volunteers to help it stay true to its vision of serving lower-income patients.

As of March 2025, KDF has provided subsidised, quality dialysis treatment to a total of 1,136 patients.

You can find out more about how KDF is ensuring no end-stage kidney failure patients are left without treatment due to financial reasons at its website.

Learn more about their latest happenings through their social media platforms (i.e. Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn).

This branded article made the writer thankful that there’s a community dedicated to helping the needy in Singapore, while raising awareness on kidney health.

Top image via KDF and Google Maps