Hospital charity funds to help needy patients

December 11, 2012

I refer to the NUH Patientcare Charity Fund’s annual report for the financial year ended 31 March 2011.

17% spent in the year

According to it’s profit and loss statement, total incoming resources were $12.4 million, with total resources expended of $2.1 million.

This means that it received $12.4 million and spent $2.1 million, resulting in a surplus for the year of $10.3 million.

In other words, about 17 per cent was spent in the year.

Of the $2.1 million spent, $1.1 million was spent on needy patients, $1 million on medical education and training (including the Annual Asia Pacific Evidenced-based Medicine and Nursing (APEBMN) workshop and conference), and $3,941 on patientcare and research.

Since the name of the charity fund is “NUH Patientcare Charity Fund”, some donors may be under the impression that the majority of the funds would go to help needy patients.

48% on medical education and training

As cited above, about 52 per cent was spent on needy patients, with the bulk of the balance ($1 million) of about 48 per cent on medical education and training.

As a public hospital, why is it that such medical education and training funds do not come from the hospital’s budget or the Ministry of Health (MOH)?

According to the Tan Tock Seng Community Charity Fund’s annual report for the financial year ended 31 March 2011 – the total resources expended in the year was $1.8 million.

$2.3 m spent on constructing centre

For the year ended 31 March 2010, the total resources expended was a much larger amount of about $4.3 million, which had a footnote which said “The increase in expenditure is mainly due to the expenditure of $2.3 million in the construction of Emergency Diagnosis and Therapy Centre (EDTC)”.

53% spent on constructing centre

So, about 53 per cent of the expenditure was spent on the construction of the EDTC in the year.

Shouldn’t the building of infrastructure be funded from a hospital’s budget or the MOH, instead of from it’s “Community Charity Fund”?

Like the NUH Patientcare Charity Fund, the name “Tan Tock Seng Community Charity Fund” may have some donors getting the perception that as a “community charity fund”, most of the funds may be used for needy patients.

LEONG Sze Hian

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About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.