THE chairman of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Mr Gerard Ee, hopes the proposed compensation for kidney donors will pay for all their medical expenses related to the donation but not allow them to profit from it.

Donors should not be 'better off' to prevent organ trading, in which people sell their kidneys for a quick buck.

However, donors should also not be 'worse off' financially because they have donated their kidneys.

Mr Ee said: 'If someone wants to donate a kidney to help a family member, who is going to pay for that bill?

'Now, we tell people to be altruistic, donate their kidneys and bear your own expenses, so I'm not surprised so few people donate.'

Earlier this month, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced that the law would be changed early next year to allow people who donate their kidneys to receive monetary compensation from the recipient or a charity.

However, the amount should not be so large that it is seen as an inducement, he said.

It is currently against the law for kidney or liver donors to be compensated.