Source: www.ns.sg
The Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) located on Pulau
Tekong has two medical centres. These are Pulau Tekong Medical
Centre (PTMC) and Rocky Hill Medical Centre. The medical centres
have trained medical personnel and doctors and are fully equipped
with facilities to see SAF servicemen (including recruits) who
report sick, seek medical PES reviews as well as manage medical
emergencies. In addition, PTMC has dental facilities, x-ray service
as well as physiotherapy services. PTMC is also a 24-hour medical
centre with Medical Officers on duty throughout the day.
If I do not feel well during training, how do I report
sick?
You can report sick at any time should you not feel well as PTMC is
manned 24/7. Please approach your BMTC instructors, who will be
able to facilitate your medical consultation at the medical centre.
Our fully-qualified SAF Medical Officers will make the necessary
clinical assessment and the appropriate medical recommendations.
You should not be apprehensive about being unfairly viewed or
treated for reporting sick if you are ill.
I have heard about instances of training-related injuries
during BMT. What will happen if I am injured during
training?
You will be rendered immediate first aid by trained personnel
on-site. Apart from the on-site Medic, your commanders and peers
can also perform first aid as all instructors and recruits are
trained in Buddy Aid as part of BMT. If required, an SAF ambulance
or safety vehicle will bring you to the nearest medical centre
(either PTMC or Rocky Hill Medical Centre), where you will be
attended to by a Medical Officer.
Are SAF medical centres equipped to treat me for serious
injuries?
All SAF medical centres have emergency resuscitation facilities to
treat medical emergencies. The medical centres are equipped with
state-of-the-art equipment and facilities (such as body cooling
units) to treat a variety of emergency medical conditions. Medical
Officers and Medics are trained and qualified in emergency
resuscitation skills and the use of such life-saving medical
equipment. After these immediate, medical treatment measures are
administered and the casualty is stabilised, he will then be
evacuated to the hospital for further treatment.
How will I be transferred from Pulau Tekong to mainland
Singapore if I need to be referred to the hospital?
Depending on the nature and severity of your medical condition, the
evacuation from Pulau Tekong to mainland Singapore can be via air
or sea-land means. Urgent cases will be airlifted by helicopter to
a designated restructured hospital in Singapore with a helicopter
landing point. Non-urgent cases will be ferried by fastcraft to the
SAF Ferry Terminal (at mainland Singapore), where the serviceman
will then be transferred via a SAF ambulance to the nearest
restructured hospital.
I read in online forums about the "Tekong cough", which
affects many recruits shortly after commencing BMT. Is it
true?
The "Tekong cough" is a myth.
The following addresses the misconceptions surrounding this
myth.
