By MARIA ALMENOARTRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT

EVEN as more than 10,000 peopleare killed or injured in road acci-dents each year, few of those af-fected know that they can tap afund to get back on their feet.

The Traffic Accident Fund wasset up in 2004 with $550,000 inthe kitty, but only $240,000 hasbeen disbursed in the last nineyears.

Only 50 individuals have ap-plied, an average of six a year. In2009, there was one applicant.

The fund is administered bythe Centre for Enabled Living(CEL), which took over from theNational Council of Social Servicein 2009. The money was raised bythe National Safety Council andTraffic Police.

Singapore citizens and perma-nent residents – from families

with a per capita gross monthlyhousehold income of $1,300 orless – are eligible.

They can get up to $10,000, de-pending on household income.

Victims of traffic accidentswho suffer permanent or total dis-ability can apply for help to buyequipment that helps them withmobility or recovery. These itemsinclude prostheses, wheelchairsand medical equipment.

The fund can also be tapped topay for the installation of hand-rails and ramps, and the wideningof doorways for easier access.

Applicants can also get reim-bursement for transport expensesbetween their homes and rehabili-tation centres.

Families whose loved oneshave died or suffered brain dam-age in accidents can also seek tem-porary cash relief.

It was only through a medicalsocial worker that one accident

victim – Mr Mohammad SabreeSalleh – learnt about the fund.

The 25-year-old is paralysedfrom the waist down and confinedto a wheelchair after the thenwarehouse executive was hit by alorry from behind while on his mo-torcycle in November last year.

“The doctor told me it was to-tal permanent paralysis. I canonly hope for a miracle now,” saidthe youngest of four children,who lives in a four-room flat in Ju-rong East.

The accident left him in a tightspot because he has yet to get anyinsurance payout. His parents areretired.

But with the help of the fund,he did not have to pay $3,900 fora wheelchair that helps him movearound the house.

A spokesman for the CEL,which comes under the Ministryof Community Development,

Youth and Sports, said public edu-cation is important to create andsustain awareness of its schemesand funds, including the TrafficAccident Fund.

“CEL will continue to put in ef-fort into this area so that all eligi-

ble beneficiaries will be able to re-ceive the help they need,” addedthe spokesman.

The CEL is working with socialworkers to raise awareness of theavailability of the fund.

Mr Mohammad Sabree nowhopes to use the fund to defraythe cost of some installations inhis home, like handrails in the toi-let and the toilet commode. Hisparents had to dip into their sav-ings to pay for them.

He said: “I hope eventually Iwill be able to find a job and nothave to worry about using thisfund.”

mariaa@sph.com.sg

By JANICE TAI

CANCER patient Chong Ah Huatwanted to die at home so that hecould spend more time with hisbrother in his last days.

But he was worried that this ar-rangement would add to the finan-cial burden of his sibling as the lat-ter would need to take time offfrom work to accompany him forhospital check-ups.

As a part-time factory worker,his brother was already having ahard time making ends meet.

But with the help of a new fund– the first such fund that sup-ports needy, terminally-ill pa-tients who wish to die at home –Mr Chong, 47, is now comforta-bly settled at home.

The $500,000 Respectance

Fund was set up by philanthropicoutfit Lien Foundation in April.

Twenty-seven recipients havebenefited so far, with the amountgiven decided on a case-by-casebasis.

In the last few months, MrChong has been getting a $100transport allowance forcheck-ups and $400 worth ofmilk feeds a month.

Applicants can tap the fund torent equipment, such as hospitalbeds or commodes, that they needat home or hire nurses or thera-pists to care for them at home.

As most will need to travel tothe hospital for medical appoint-ments, they can also get help withtransportation expenses.

If the patient is the main bread-winner of the family, the lattercan also get interim help when he

or she dies.Chief executive of the Lien

Foundation, Mr Lee Poh Wah,said it decided to launch the fundas there are no community grantsavailable to help defray the costsof dying at home.

“Dying at home is sometimesmore expensive than in a hospi-tal,” he added, but noted that theenvironment in hospitals can be“sterile and alienating”.

“We want to help relieve thecostly burden of dying for the sickfrom low-income families at atime when they are experiencinggreat stress and anxiety in theirlives,” he added.

About 17,000 people die in Sin-gapore each year.

While most prefer to die athome, more than half do so in ahospital, said then health minister

Khaw Boon Wan in 2007.The fund is open to needy pa-

tients deemed to have 12 monthsor less to live.

They must be recommended bymedical social workers from part-ner institutions like Assisi hos-pice, HCA hospice care and StLuke’s hospital.

Mr Mohd Yusof, 45, anothercancer patient who received assist-ance, spent four days in his new-ly-rented flat before he died inApril.

“We are so grateful. The mon-ey was used to buy paint to paintthe walls of our home and hire aprivate nurse in his last days,”said his unemployed wife, MadamRosnah Rahim, 46.

Close to $1,300 was disbursedto the family.

jantai@sph.com.sg

Fund helps the dying live last days at home

TWO vessels collided in Singa-pore waters yesterday, resultingin an oil spill between Jurong Is-land and the Tuas View Exten-sion Reclamation Area.

Less than 60 tonnes of oil wasspilled after Hong Kong-regis-tered bulk carrier Sunny Horizoncollided with Korean-registeredDL Salvia, which was carrying liq-uefied petroleum gas.

The accident happened atabout 2pm at Temasek Fairway,which is about 700m east of Sul-tan Shoal, the Maritime and PortAuthority (MPA) said in a state-ment. No one was injured.

Port operations were unaffect-ed but the MPA issued broad-casts to ships to ply the area care-fully.

It is investigating the cause of

the collision.Seven patrol and anti-pollu-

tion craft were involved in clean-ing up the spilled oil, includingoil spill response companies.

MPA is coordinating theclean-up with other governmentagencies and the shipowners.

The two vessels have been an-chored in the West Jurong an-chorage, MPA said.

Family members (from left) MadamLee Yoke Lan, 69, a housewife; MrChan Kok Seng, 41, a manager; pupilKelvin Chan, 11; Madam Chong HuiChin, 39, a civil servant; and pupilKenneth Chan, eight, emergedwinners of the People’s AssociationMy PAssion Family Game DesignCompetition (open category). Their

game requires players to go on a questto earn as many card hugs as possiblethrough various tasks. The prizes theywon included $1,000 in cash. A totalof 120 participants and their familiestook part in the annual event whichencourages family bonding throughdesigning non-digital card or boardgames. PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE

The doctor told me it was total permanent paralysis. I can only hopefor a miracle now.

– Mr Mohammad Sabree Salleh, who is paralysed from the waist down andconfined to a wheelchair after being hit by a lorry while on his motorcycle

Thanks to the Respectance Fund, cancer patient Chong Ah Huat, 47, does nothave to burden older brother Chong Swe Fat (behind him), a factory worker, topay for milk feeds and transport to the hospital. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

Mr Mohammad Sabree, 25, in his Jurong East flat with the $3,900 wheelchair that he got with the help of the Transport Accident Fund. Accident victims who sufferpermanent or total disability can apply to the fund for help to buy equipment that helps them with mobility or recovery. PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

Only 50 accident victims so far havetapped fund that was set up in 2004

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Oil spill after ships collide off Jurong

GAME OF HUGS

Few awarethat TrafficAccidentFund exists

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Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.