Equal opportunity: Chew (right) and Kuan. — The Straits Times/ANN
Being tethered to a dialysis machine three times a week keeps kidney patients Chew Teck Seng and Malathy Naga Rathnam alive. But it has also made it nearly impossible for them to find employment.
Lamenting the challenges patients face, 53-year-old Chew, who used to work as a technical specialist, said: “Kidney failure and the frequent dialysis have set limits on me physically, but I am still mentally capable to take on work.”
Echoing his sentiments, 40-year-old Malathy, a former healthcare worker, said: “Only my kidneys are not working. Other than that, I am fine.”
A job fair in October last year, focused on inclusive hiring, helped them surmount these challenges and become gainfully employed, alongside at least 12 other patients on dialysis.
The job fair was co-organised by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), and local social enterprise The Social Equity (TSE), which promotes social inclusion.
Statistics from NKF showed that of the over 5,400 NKF patients undergoing haemodialysis, 37% are retired, 21% are employed, and the remaining 42%, or 2,285 patients, are currently unemployed.
Almost half of those unemployed, some 1,090 people, do actually seek work, but face challenges in securing opportunities.
To boost their chances of being employed, TSE roped in 18 employers for the All Inclusive NKF Community Job Fair, through which both Chew and Malathy found new work.
For Chew, who is married with two children, it marked his return to the workforce after a self-imposed hiatus of three months.
He was retrenched in August 2025 from his first job of 28 years.
In 2015, he had his right kidney removed due to a malignant tumour, and his left kidney the following year for the same reason. Since then, he has been on dialysis.
Although his previous employer helped him to change job roles within the company, from a manual machine repair role to quality testing, he was let go when his treatment took a toll on his performance.
He felt tired easily and could not perform on par with colleagues, as he had to leave work early for dialysis or medical appointments.
At the NKF-TSE job fair, he applied for almost every job opening, from the food and beverage to security to hospitality sectors. Eventually, he took up a job as a cleaner with coffee-and-toast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast.
Since beginning work in November 2025, he has been grateful for the various flexi-arrangements offered to him, including work hours shortened from six to four hours after he realised he lacked the stamina to be constantly on his feet. His manager also arranged for him to take 15-minute breaks after two hours of work.
Vincent Kuan, Ya Kun’s senior area manager, said the company will adjust rosters and offer shorter work hours to accommodate schedules of employees who require flexi-work arrangements, including those on dialysis.
“This approach enables us to tap a broader talent pool and foster an inclusive workplace culture,” said Kuan.
At the same fair, Malathy, who was diagnosed with diabetes at nine years old and requires daily insulin, found work as a team lead for homegrown bakery and cafe chain Cedele.
After graduating from the Institute of Technical Education in 2005, Malathy worked as a healthcare assistant in a public hospital until she resigned in 2021.
At that time, her doctor told her she had early signs of declining kidney function, but she felt that she was still young and did not take the medication he prescribed to slow down the disease.
By 2022, her kidneys had failed, but she continued to be in denial until she became so breathless she could barely walk.
Malathy wanted to return to healthcare, but discovered employers would not contact her after she disclosed she was on dialysis, and had restrictions such as being unable to carry heavy weights.
Cedele’s general manager, Poy Rong Chang, said as long as the F&B industry is flexible, it should be able to get the manpower it needs.
Ten months after he took on the role in September 2024, the company had increased its part-time casual labour force by 54% with inclusive hiring.
“We recognise that the workforce today is more diverse in terms of life stages and responsibilities, and not everyone can fit into a traditional fixed schedule,” said Poy. — The Straits Times/ANN
