SINGAPORE - The chief executive of the Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) has resigned after being at the helm of the healthcare charity for five years.

In a Facebook post on Monday evening (Jan 29), Mrs Jane Prior said that this will be her last week with the BMDP, the only bone marrow donor registry here.

Mrs Prior wrote: "It is time for someone else to bring a new vision to the team and respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing medical and regulatory landscape."

The Straits Times understands that BMDP staff were taken aback when told of Mrs Prior's resignation on Monday morning (Jan 29).

Mrs Prior, who previously managed her own regional marketing and public relations consultancy firm, said on Facebook that she shares the news of her resignation with "mixed emotions".

Noting that the organisation has grown the donor registry and made strides in the last five years, she wrote that "all good things involve change".

Mrs Prior could not be reached for further comment.

Two years ago, the BMDP came under a special audit commissioned by the Ministry of Health (MOH), after the ministry received feedback on the organisation's administrative and governance issues.

The audit started in September 2016, and concluded almost a year later in August 2017, after which authorities ordered the organisation to rectify the governance and administrative lapses uncovered.

MOH did not elaborate on what the lapses were or what changes the charity needed to make.

Following the investigation, MOH gave a five-month extension to the BMDP's Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status, which was due to expire in July 31 (2017). The extension was until the end of last year (2017).

In response to recent queries from The Straits Times, MOH said that the BMDP has been granted a further six-month extension of the IPC status - which allows organisations to raise funds from donors who enjoy a tax deduction - until the end of June (2018).

The MOH spokesman said: "BMDP has been taking steps to improve its administration and governance, and keeping MOH informed. MOH is monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of their efforts."

The BMDP was founded in 1993, and has more than 80,000 donors on its register.