Like many Singaporeans, I'm what you called a working class person with a working class family. I've a car, a home entertainment set, a maid and a son. Total monthly income of the family totaled some 6k per month.

I or we also have loans to service. Housing loan, renovation loan and car loan. Three things that you would have if you are a Singaporean. Yup, you are more likely to have a car loan than having a car.
But all this loans or the ability to obtain loans are nothing if your mother can't have dialysis.

For those non Singaporeans out there, we have what you'd call a CSC card. This card is given to civil servants which should help us to save in our medical expenses. But to use this card, one must go and seek medical treatment from government clinics or hospital where the cost will be subsidised.

Well my dad used to be a police officer for 20 odd years of his life until he retires. Now, because he was a police officer, he was given this Card. And because my mum is his spouse, my mum is given this Card too. This Card must be an institution or something because somebody from this Card called us to say that my mum's dialysis treatment would be covered in full. As to why I said this Card must be an institution, well, this God's gift from the government, comes with a small but interesting string. My mummust have dialysis treatment from a government hospital.

Again, to many non Singaporeans, I have to make you realised that Singapore is not that big. You can practically count on one hand as to the number of government dialysis centers. And one of the bigger ones is called the NKF.

Time 2020 hrs. 17 April 2006