By Mavis Toh

For many kidney patients here, the new year can't come fast enough.

They are confident that once the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota) is amended early next year, they will get a new lease of life.

Last week, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced that the law will be changed to allow people who donate their kidneys to get monetary compensation from the recipient or a voluntary organisation.

For kidney patients, the new law will mean a bigger pool of available donors.

The 12 kidney patients The Sunday Times spoke to were all excited about the move and hopeful that it would increase their chances of a transplant.

'This is definitely good news, a light at the end of the dark tunnel,' said kidney patient Agatha Lau, 40. 'Hopefully, Singaporeans would be receptive to the scheme.'

Ms Lau has been waiting for a transplant since she found out her kidneys were failing in 1991. But being the only child to elderly parents, she did not have family members who could donate a kidney to her.

Three times a week, the assistant manager has to rush for her four-hour-long dialysis sessions after work. She spends $2,000 a month on dialysis.

She had toyed with the idea of heading overseas for a transplant but was put off after hearing 'horror stories'. Her heart condition complicates matters, making it risky for her to have major surgery abroad.

But things might now be different.

'If we're allowed to compensate donors in Singapore and have the transplant here, I'll definitely do it if I find a match,' she said.

Like her, many of nephrologist Pary Sivaraman's patients are excited about the upcoming change to the law.

'They like the idea and are very positive that something is going to be done,' he said. 'They are hopeful that it will give them the opportunity to get a transplant.'

About 1,000 people in Singapore lose the use of their kidneys every year. Many who go on dialysis die within the first few months.

Hairstylist Jobina Yau, 54, can't wait for the change. 'Time is of the essence, the faster we can find a donor and have a transplant, the better. Having a transplant is like being reborn.'

She should know because she already had a transplant, thanks to her husband's donation, which lasted her 13 years. Three years ago, however, both her kidneys started failing and she had to return to dialysis.

She had been planning to get a transplant in China but delayed it because of the costs involved.

'A transplant there will cost about $40,000. If I can do it in Singapore, hopefully I can use my Medisave. Without the subsidy, I can't afford it.'

Every year, 20 to 30 Singaporeans go abroad for kidney transplants. Desperation drives them to run afoul of the law and take on the risks of an overseas operation. Most head for China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Kidney patients said that a transplant in China costs between $30,000 and $40,000. Some hospitals are even able to find a match within three days.

Those headed to other countries usually engage middlemen who source for a suitable donor and who get a cut for linking up the donor and the recipient.

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