Recently, the current batch of the NTU student union organized a donation drive to foot his hospital bill of a PRC scholar diagnosed with leukamia. The 2-day donation drive raised a total sum of S$80,695.75 and 20 chinese yuan.
This donation drive generated a certain amount of controversy. The New Paper covered the objection from some based on the viewpoint that he is not a citizen of the country. However, there are other controversies. One is the accountability of the donation money. And the other is the distribution of donations to the local needly.
As shown by NKF and Ren Ci, accountability of donations to charity is a very sensitive issue and is govern by a certain set of laws. While, in this personal donation, no accountability is required nor any laws will be applicable. Hence, in a sense, the accountability level required is the same as in the case of Wang Na’s ‘bai jin’ – no accountability required.
The other controversy will be, why should one single case be highlighted, while all the rest of the local cases of needy have to seek help from the charity? Every aged and needy person knows that in Singapore, the common saying is “it is better to die than to suffer from a major sickness”. And the main reason, is that the financial burden of the operation or medical bills is beyond most. Families members will have to toll for years to come, and subsidies are insufficient.
Meanwhile, the simplistic view that if the needy has purchase insurance, he/she would have been covered, no such financial burden will occur. In reality, most insurance scheme has a maximum payout. In this case, all full-time international students are under compulsory purchase of “Group Hospitalisation & Surgical Insurance“. However, the maximum payout per year or per medical condition is $15,000, which is below the estimated cost of at least $150,000 for the chemotherapy session by the family.
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