'What went wrong?'

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Singapore power snaps. What went wrong?

6.05 am soldier collapsed. 7.40 am then only reach NUH. where got chance to survive lah? why MINDEF after so many deaths still not mandate that everybody who collapses be evacuated to facilities with intensive care and expert resuscitation specialists within 20 minutes? leaving it for one hour 35 minutes a life and death situation in the hands of medics and young fresh out of medical school inexperienced army doctors is not exactly ideal.

When the last NS man died while on training which unfortunately was not too many months ago, some posters here suggested that I was wrong to blame these untimely and unexplained deaths of seemingly healthy young men in their prime doing quite normal physical activity, on the less than active life style we have today.

This is of course comparing to my school days when I spent it in the bush catching spiders and the drains catching fishes. Now our young catch fish and spider through their computers in the comfort of their aircon room at home.

Joe Foo’s death is most unfortunate and tragic and also another unexplainable and untimely death. No one during my days ever die from doing chin ups.

This exercise is based on the weakest set of muscles in the human body – the fingers. As such when you are unable to hold on any longer you just let go the horizontal bar and the stress is over. How this exercise could be the cause of a death is really beyond me.

The MC found in Pte Joe Foo’s room army is irrelevant if it was really for a foot problem. Since the legs were not involved in the exercise.

This is may be just another indicator to suggest that the physical fitness standard of our young today are getting worse than say 10 years’ ago.
Mindef’s standard response to such tragedy is to lower the standard of physical training regime in the army but that did nothing to stop our young from dying even in watered down version of such training.

I think it is not too far off when the army cancels physical training altogether and NS men are allowed to bring their maids along to help them carry their heavy loa

<<I am writing to relate an experience of mine during my full time national service stint in 1996-1998 that may shed some light on why Private Joe Foo Wei Rong did not endorse his medical leave with his unit.

Back in 1997, I was serving my full time national service duties in the 3rd Battalion Guards unit as a guardsman. During a 3-day field training exercise, I had developed severe knee pains due to over exertion during field training. After the field training, I had the chance to book out of camp during the weekends. Thinking that the pain might go away after a saturday night's rest at home, it did not and the pain worsened. Fearing for the condition of my knee, I went to Changi General Hospital for consultation on Sunday morning.

The doctor on duty issue me with medical leave and excuse of heavy duties and field training for 3 days, including the Sunday. The doctor wanted me to rest my knee so that the condition does not aggravate.

On the following Monday morning, I went to sign up with my company duty sargeant to report to the unit medical centre for endorsement of the medical leave (excuse of heavy duties) given by a doctor from a public hospital. It was at this time that the Company Sargeant Major threatened all soldiers with externally issued medical leave to either drop the idea of endorsement and go back to normal duties or sign a 3 days confinement punishment before we are allowed to go to the medical centre for endorsement.

As I had a genuine knee condition and I believe that a 2 day light duties for me would be better for both my health and my performance in the unit in the future, I went against the Company Sargeant Major's order and insist on endorsement of my medical leave. I had to sign up for a 3 days confinement punishment. A confinement means a day of the weekend being confined to the camp doing cleaning and other miscellanous non-training related work instead of being able to go home and spent time with family. Weekends are very precious for stay-in combat personnel in an active unit like 3rd Guards.

The Company Sargeant Major blatantly disregarded the safety provisions in the Army and the professionalism of doctors in public practise. This act of abuse of authority is the reason the armed forces had to endure countless safety related incidents that took away lives of young Singaporeans whose duty is to serve the country but ended up losing their lives needlessly. >>

Condolences to Joe Foo's family. No one should die will serving his country in peace time.

Unbelieveable. I suggest our medical experts do a thorough study into this disturbing trend. It is not right to post a young and inexperience MO in a unit or medical center all the time. Not all accidents are light and non life threatening all the time. The time spent on assessing and preparation to go to a hospital would have exhausted all chances of saving the patient.

Why not the SAF consider bringing more experience doctors or even specialist to formation level Med Centers on a rotational basis? Maybe this could help reduce the number of fatalities. My humble opinion to save our young soldiers'life from being expended unnecessarily.

bladevan
I am glad to see your post. My previous post was deleted along the same line.

Why is the SAF and in fact most Ministries `re-active' rather than `pro-active'? Why must they wait for something to happen before they are willing to investigate and take the necessary precautions?

My deepest condolence goes to NSman Joe Foo's family and I am very sure that many parents like me are again very concern about our sons presently undergoing NS.

Not too many months ago there was a recruit from the same batch that passed away and all eyes were on the BMT. I guess that helps in ensuring the safety of our sons who was undergoing training then.

After their graduation from the BMT, all of them were posted to various camps and I guess there is where things can go wrong again because the of the different environment and attitude of different commanders.

Have Mindef ever consider that it might not be the physical training that is killing our sons but maybe the anxiety and the psychological harassment that might be the contributing factors?

My son is presently undergoing NS Training and from the feedbacks that I gather from all his coursemates online, I can sense their anxiety and fear is driving them crazy. True that some of them are `softer' than what we use to be but never the less, proper attention must always be given to the weakest trainee in the midst.

From what I gathered, our sons are treated worse off than the contruction workers in Singapore. They are posted to way out camps like Lim Chu Kang, Sungei Gudong etc that are infested with flies and mosquitoes whilst our construction workers are offered prime area like Serangoon Garden. In such camps, more than 20 soldiers are squeezed into a room and sleeping on double-decker beds. They are constantly kept on their toes by having to fall-in late every night just so that the Daily Routine Orders can be read to them. They are also required to `Turn-out' in the middle of the night for initiation thus interrupting their much needed rest. The anxiety of not knowing when they are required to fall-in is taking a toll on most of them for fear of punishment. Is it necessary to treat our soldier is such a manner? Let us seriously take a look at these unecessary harassments and ask ourselves whether is it really necessary for their training.

Surprisingly, most of them have indicated that they had very much prefered their BMT even though it was very tough because they were more assured that they were looked after by their commanders and not subjected to such treatment.

Take this as a feedback, Mindef and please do something before another NSman need to pay for it with his life.

One more point that I missed out is the constant threat of confinement by the various level of commanders for every little things. This creates a lot of anxiety and affects the NSman psychologically because the only thing that the NSman look forward to is the weekend off to spend time with their loved ones and to take the much needed rested from all the harassments.

#8
Trust me, the training can make the boy a better man. During my time at the old Kranji Camp, the 3rd Guards battallion is an intimidating unit. Every morning has to do 15 chin ups before you could take your breakfast. Not forgetting the usual endurance runs with 8 to 10 clicks. They even have time to slot in unarmed combat, SOC and field training to make weekdays fully packed. Not to forget the Warrant Officers(nearly all got ranger tabs) are gilat soldiers who do not tolerate any "chao kengs". The old medical center is also a very tough place to get MCs. Lots of soldiers report sick but very few come out with Mcs. Light duties do not excuse you from Physical Training. Confinement is part and parcel of an NSF life. You will sign one along the way. Booking-out is a priviledge but not an entitlement.

We need to have certain disclipine in those young punks. It is not harassment. However i do have to admit those blur kings do get scarred for life. They are most of the time "marked" folks.