专家：低钠盐对健康有益 但并不适合所有人食用 (Experts: Low-sodium salt has its benefits but it is not for everyone)

​Dr Emmett Wong Tsz Yeung, Consultant in NUH’s Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, and Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, explained that low-sodium salt, in which sodium is replaced by potassium, may not be suitable and could sometimes be life-threatening for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Consuming such low-sodium salt may result in high potassium levels in these patients, leading to consequences such as muscle weakness, cardiac arrhythmia and even sudden death.  

துவாழ்வு நரம் உறுப்பு தாளம் (Organ donation gives new life)

​A/Prof Shridhar Ganpathi Iyer, Senior Consultant, Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, and Surgical Director of the Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of people coming forward to donate organs has dropped. He said the average waiting time in Singapore for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor is nine years. NUH patients Satya and Diksha Anand have kidney failure. Diksha had dialysis at NUH Children’s Kidney Centre three times a week for nearly four hours each time. In 2018 when Diksha was 10, she received kidneys from a deceased donor. Satya still undergoes peritoneal dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant.

• Tamil Murasu Online, துவாழ்வு நரம் உறுப்பு தாளம் (Organ donation gives new life)
  

உடற்குறை ஒரு தடையல்ல (Disability is not a barrier)

​For the last 22 years, the Shaw-NKF-NUH Children's Kidney Centre (CKC) has been organising a special camp for children with chronic kidney conditions and transplants. Led by Prof Yap Hui Kim, Head and Emeritus Consultant, Division of Paediatric Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplantation, Department of Paediatrics, KTP-NUCMI, NUH, the camp offered participants a rare stay-in camp experience equipped to meet their treatment needs with more than 20 doctors, 10 nurses and other health professionals on site.

20-year-old participant-turned-organiser Satya, who requires peritoneal dialysis and has attended the camp for eight years, explained that the camp allowed him to meet others like himself. His father, Mr Anand, said that the camp offered participants the opportunity to learn to live independently, away from their parents. 

疫情后首次回到实体模式 年轻肾病患者体验露营乐趣 (Young patients with chronic kidney conditions experience the fun of camping in first physical camp since COVID-19 outbreak)

The Shaw-NKF-NUH Children's Kidney Centre (CKC) organised a three-day-two-night camp, offering children with chronic kidney conditions and transplants a rare stay-in camp experience equipped to meet their treatment needs. 

同时移植胰脏肾脏 能治愈糖尿病？(Can transplanting pancreas and kidney simultaneously cure diabetes?)

​A/Prof Tiong Ho Yee, Senior Consultant, Adult Kidney & Pancreas Transplantation Programme, NUCOT and Director of the National Pancreas Transplant Programme, said that simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant may increase the quality of life and survival rate of patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes compared to other available treatment.

Kidney swop transplant gives woman new lease of life

​Asst Prof Hersharan Kaur Sran, Senior Consultant and Medical Director of the Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, provided comments on paired kidney exchange transplant. She explained that there would be a higher risk of an acute rejection of the organ, higher risks of infections and a longer hospital stay for patients who are medically incompatible for a transplant.

Kidney transplants in S’pore fall over past 2 years amid pandemic

​The Sunday Times interviewed Dr Hersharan Kaur Sran, Senior Consultant, Adult Kidney & Pancreas Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, who commented that NUH’s transplant team received fewer referrals from kidney doctors, who were swamped during COVID-19, and transplants involving deceased donors dropped significantly due to concerns about infection transmission, among other things. Dr Sran who is also the Medical Director for NUCOT’s Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme explained that organs from higher-risk donors – such as people who were older or less healthy – were turned down. This was because such transplants require more medical resources and increase the risk of recipients having to stay longer in hospitals or needing intensive care. 

等肾移植者增 可等长达 8 年 (The number of patients waiting for kidney transplant has increased; wait can be up to 8 years)

​Dr Hersharan Kaur Sran, Medical Director & Senior Consultant, Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, explained that organs from higher-risk donors – such as people who were older or less healthy – were turned down during COVID-19. This was because such transplants require more medical resources and increase the risk of recipients having to stay longer in hospitals or needing intensive care.

National wait list set up for pancreas transplants

​Patients who need a pancreas transplant will now be placed on a national wait list to get the operation, with Singaporeans and permanent residents eligible for subsidies under a new national programme. This will ensure that potential paients at all hospitals are identified and screened for pancreas transplant suitability. Those on the wait list can expect to wait around two years to receive a new pancreas.

• The Sunday Times, Page A18, I was given a new life, says diabetic
• CNA Online, New lease of life for patients battling diabetes, kidney failure
• CNA TV, Singapore Tonight, Battling diabetes & kidney failure
• Mediacorp Channel 5, News Tonight, More hope for patients battling diabetes and kidney failure
• Mediacorp Channel 8, Singapore Today, 全国胰腺移植计划正式推行 (National pancreas transplant programme officially launched)and kidney failure
• Mediacorp 8world, 全国胰腺移植计划正式推行 (National pancreas transplant programme officially launched)
• Lianhe Zaobao, Page 8, 新加坡批准胰腺移植列入全国计划 (Singapore approves pancreas transplantation in national programme)
• Mediacorp Suria, Permindahan pancreas & ginjal serentak (Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation)
• Mediacorp Vasantham, Singapore rolls out first national pancreas transplant service in Southeast Asia
• Tamil Murasu, Page 2, Singapore rolls out first national pancreas transplant service in Southeast Asia
• Shin Min Daily News, Page 8, ‘新旧内脏’共存 他拥2胰脏3肾脏 (Old and new organs coexist – he has 2 pancreas and 3 kidneys)
• Lianhe Wanbao, Page 7, 新加坡成唯一提供胰腺移植东南亚国 (Singapore becomes the only Southeast Asian country to offer pancreas transplant service)
• Sin Chew Daily, 同时移植胰肾“新旧内脏”共存 二型糖尿病患拥2胰脏3肾脏 (Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant; old and new organs coexist – type 2 diabetic patient has 2 pancreas and 3 kidneys)
• Nanyang Siang Pau, 新旧内脏共存 技工拥2胰脏3肾脏 (Old and new organs coexist – technician has 2 pancreas and 3 kidneys)

Donation rates still low

​​Last year saw the highest number of deceased donor kidney and liver transplants performed in Singapore in a decade, but the overall organ transplant rate still lags behind that of many developed countries

Kidney failure patients face three choices

​When someone suffers from kidney failure, he faces three choices: transplant, dialysis or palliative treatment to ease him in his final years. The best option is a transplant, which gives the recipient an almost normal life and has a longer survival rate than dialysis.

9-year-old has successful kidney transplant with help from NKF

​It is Children’s Day today. For the first time, nine-year-old Lim En Xuan could let go and feast happily on fishballs and cotton candy at her school’s annual celebration carnival yesterday.

Singapore's first paired kidney exchange transplant done at NUH

​Since she was 15, Ms Siti Rasyidah Lokman Hadan has been on dialysis while waiting for a transplant because her kidneys had failed from an autoimmune disease. Her eight-year wait ended in April last year when she became part of Singapore’s first living paired kidney exchange transplant, performed at the National University Hospital.

Singapore’s first paired kidney exchange transplant done at NUH

​Since she was 15, Ms Siti Rasyidah Lokman Hadan has been on dialysis while waiting for a transplant because her kidneys had failed from an autoimmune disease. Her eight-year wait ended in April last year when she became part of Singapore’s first living paired kidney exchange transplant, performed at the National University Hospital.

Singapore's first successful living paired kidney exchange transplant