The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) agrees with Dr Kanwaljit Soin that healthcare is about not only treating the disease, but also preventing it (Lots of medical care but not enough health - a new reset button, March 26).

We also agree with and support Health Minister Ong Ye Kung's strategic direction to get people and healthcare systems to focus more on keeping healthy.

With diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity - which are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure - on the rise, there is a pressing need for NKF to do more, from prevention to treatment and management of chronic kidney disease.

This is more so as recent data shows that the number of Singaporeans diagnosed with kidney failure has jumped significantly from about 4.3 new cases every day in 2011 to about 5.7 new cases in 2019, with no sign of abating.

There are currently more than 8,500 dialysis patients in Singapore.

While we give life to dialysis patients with quality treatment, and give them hope by empowering them through holistic support to do well and live well for themselves and their families, it is vital that Singapore tackles the root of the problem and strives to do more upstream to prevent or delay people from being afflicted with kidney failure.

We engage the community to get people to take charge of their health by raising greater awareness of kidney failure, its leading causes and its negative consequences, and sharing tips to slow down the progression of kidney diseases - especially with the young, as they may feel invincible, thinking they may never fall prey to such diseases.

We also strive to widen our network by working closely with general practitioners (GPs) on early chronic kidney disease intervention and management.

We provide screening to help the at-risk group to pick up early warning signs, and refer them to the GP for follow-up care, in line with the national plan for family doctors to play a key role in keeping patients within the healthcare ecosystem without falling through the cracks.

Collaborations between different care providers and community partners also lead to primary care and specialised renal care being better integrated to help prevent chronic kidney disease and decelerate the progression of kidney failure.

Tim Oei

Chief Executive Officer

National Kidney Foundation