I think Private Joe Foo Wei Rong died because of
undetected medical problems and also because of management problems
in the medical system since a long time ago. The most pressing
problem is management problems.
Thursday, 19 June 2008, 9:45 am | 637 views
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There is a saying in my
office: the job of the Military Medicine Institute is to prove that
you don’t have what you say you have. It began as a joke, based on
observations that we have made during our time in Basic Military
Training. Unfortunately, it seems that the statement is truer by
the day.
I
told my colleagues the story of a recruit in my company in Pulau
Tekong. He suffered from severe flat feet. The arches of his feet
would collapse after running for too long, making him highly
unsuitable as a frontline soldier.
He
demonstrated that he had flat foot during his medical check-up. He
even went to a private specialist to confirm his condition. But he
was sent for PES A/B training. It took over a month before he was
officially downgraded and posted out - in the interim, he was
pulled out of training and spent his days sitting in the company
office and running simple errands.
Fiction? I wish. It is
merely just another case of irresponsibility.
The price we
pay
Every time a recruit is
declared ‘Out of Training/Course’ in BMT because of a pre-existing
medical condition that could have been detected but was not, he
would have to be sent for the next BMT recourse that caters to his
actual PES status. All the money heretofore spent on him, from food
to utility bills to ammunition, would effectively be wasted - and
that money comes from taxpayers’ wallets.
Pre-enlistees, too, have
to bear the cost of a medical misdiagnosis. My former company mate
scrambled to have a private specialist to diagnose him with flat
foot, after realizing that the doctors at the Central Manpower Base
would send him for PES A/B BMT. Armed with this documentation, he
proved to his superiors that he should be medically downgraded, and
was declared OOT from the third day.
Had he not consulted his
specialist, there is a very high chance that he would have suffered
feet injuries before the MMI realized its mistake. But it is absurd
that he had to pay a private specialist to perform a service that a
military doctor could, and ought to, have done just as competently,
and for free. Private specialists charge steep prices; should a
pre-enlistee with a medical condition be unable to afford a
specialist, and be wrongly classified during his preliminary
medical check-up, he would be in for a spell of bad luck and
trouble. And the SAF would then have to pay for his
treatment.
Worse still is the effect
on the recruits’ health. One of my colleagues has scoliosis,
curvature of the spine, and was sent for PES C BMT. The simple act
of carrying his military and civilian clothing and equipment to his
bunk injured his spine, and he had to be excused from carrying
heavy loads. It should have been a given, considering his back
problem, but nothing in the SAF seems to exist unless it is
officially documented in triplicate.
A
few months later, he was ordered to wear a fully loaded Load
Bearing Vest to the live-firing range for nearly the whole day,
further aggravating his injury. He now has to perform personal
physiotherapy every other hour, courtesy of several slipped discs,
and can only sleep on a waterbed because regular ones would
aggravate his condition. Here, the SAF has to spend time to process
his injury report - his case stretches back to December 2007, and
has yet to be resolved - and determine if he was eligible for
compensation. A medical board is being convened to determine if he
should be downgraded to PES E9L9, the lowest grading a serviceman
may get before being discharged on medical grounds. The result:
even more time and money spent to rectify something that could have
been prevented.
Perhaps the most
debilitating of all is the effect on the morale of affected
servicemen. My colleague now bears a grudge against his former
commanders, refusing to refer to them without using unprintable
vulgarities. Every serviceman who had had to turn to a private
specialist because the military doctors have failed in their job
would lose his faith in the MMI, because of that failure, and would
have judged it rightly. Left unchecked, the negative attitude that
emerges from each lapse would extend to embrace the SAF in its
death grip. Indeed, to the disaffected, ‘SAF’ is an acronym for
four words. The first two is ‘serve and’, and the last is ‘off’. I
will leave you to speculate what ‘F’ means.
Should his ennui be
entrenched by future incidents, the serviceman would lose any
incentive to do his best while serving his National Service
liability. The efficiency of his unit would then be compromised in
the area he is currently responsible for, be it logistics or
clerical work. From a macro perspective, compounding the negative
effects of each disappointed soldier, the overall effectiveness of
the SAF would be further compromised - and therefore, its ability
to defend Singapore.
The price of every
misdiagnosis and every act of negligence is in the currency of
money, time, operational readiness, and blood. We, the people
of Singapore,
are the only people who can pay for it.
Duties and
expectations
The military sees National
Service through the paradigm of duty. The average citizen, however,
sees it through the paradigm of compulsion. The SAF wants to instil
a sense of loyalty in every serviceman, to have him understand that
National Service is a duty imposed upon all male Singaporeans to
provide for the common defence, because there are too few people to
sustain an army of regular soldiers. But many Singaporeans simply
see National Service as a mechanism that tears their sons,
brothers, fathers, husbands and lovers away from them.
Neither side is wrong. But
their perspectives are irreconcilable. The death of every
serviceman attributed to a military lapse would heighten the
tension between them, and eats away at the military’s core. The
military, in turn, would want to play down the extent of any
lapses, because it - and its political masters - have no desire to
lose the public’s support, which was never significantly high to
begin with. I would not be surprised if stories of cover-ups were
to surface; after all, nobody, least of all a regular soldier,
would want to lose face. Yet this is only a temporary solution at
best. It does not at all resolve the situation.
What should be done is the
recognition of responsibilities on both sides. The military must
recognize that it is a public organization that is mostly staffed
by people against their free will. This restriction of such a basic
human right must be recompensed through a pledge of honour and
professionalism, to develop each enlistee’s potential to the
fullest.
In the event of a lapse,
especially one so severe that it leads to death or injury, the SAF
must spare no effort in investigating its cause and punishing the
guilty, and it must be done as transparently as possible. The
military must aim to minimise the cost of maintaining the SAF,
especially the cost imposed by negligence and misdiagnoses. Nothing
less will do, because the survival of the nation and the honour of
the military rest on the SAF’s shoulders. It is the public’s duty
to urge the government and the SAF to do so, to prevent
bureaucratic inertia from suffocating the investigation, as it is
the public that must bear the cost of military
irresponsibility.
Recognising
responsibilities
Civilians, in turn, ought
to recognise that they must provide for and support the common
defence. Pre-enlistees should realise that only they can defend
their loved ones, because there are not and never will be enough
regulars to do so for them. They should play their part by meeting
the rigours of National Service - servicemen by doing their best,
civilians by supporting them. The legal system assures us that
anybody who chooses to renege on his national duty would be
punished if caught. But it is education, public messages, and the
attitude of the military towards servicemen that would influence
what people truly think of National Service.
The ultimate objective of
this exercise is to reduce the cost borne by the public caused by
negligence and misdiagnoses. When the military recognises its
responsibility and acts professionally, doctors would examine
pre-enlistees more carefully, commanders would care more for their
men, clerks would pay more attention to their work, and so on. The
citizenry would support the military in its task, and take it to
task when needed. This means less public money spent on recourses
and resources, less time wasted for new postings, less blood spilt
and hearts lost by trainees, and a lower chance that the SAF,
should it be needed, would be found wanting.
In times of peace, sons
bury their fathers. In times of war, fathers bury their
sons.
Let us hope that it
becomes so.
—————–
The author wishes to remain anonymous.
2. Nowadays, the PES status you are given
in medical boards is depend on your luck.
purpledragon84 response to a guy who is PES E and want PES
F
1,781 posts since Sep '07 29 Jun `08, 1:41AM im so glad i completed
my ns..
anw, to TS, just go with the flow la.. no point fighting..
serve and fuck off.. why u go and care what they say what u cut
urself and stuff..?
also, im sure ur gf's father will not want to give his
daughter's hand to someone who shirks a national liability.. if u
even want to siam defending ur country, what kind of assurance can
u give that u will defend his daughter?
why are u so afraid of serving? are u not more afraid of
this whole issue dragging for another 3 4 years down the road? all
the re entry and withdraw.. and in the end, u served ur 2yrs for 4,
5 years, what's the point?
grow a pair of balls, accept the fact that u are NOT as
seriously ill as the ppl who are pes F, and thank god that u aren't
pes F, (because I have seen for myself ppl who r really supposed to
be pes F, but like me, BMT pes C.. it's torturous just to see them
do the most basic exercise until we whole platoon feel like helping
him do because he really couldn't take it..)
anw, NS is not as bad as u tink it is.. who can 1st day go
in and enjoy? it's all about adapting, accepting, learning.. can u
do that? or are u going to shirk ur responsibilities? for now, i
will believe that u are going to be a father of THREE.. are u going
to adapt, accept and learn how to take care of THREE children? or
are u going to push all to ur gf, or wife-to-be?
accept the fact that NS is something we lan lan have to
serve one, and then set ur mind to it.. and sit ur gf tell her u
wanna serve and fuck off and come back to the family business and
marry her.. i do NOT believe she will say no..
u can whine, u can say everyone in the fucked up camp hates
u.. u can say everyone discriminates against u, so what? do u dare
to pick urself up against them? I have seen the armskote man throw
away a guy's firing pin just before that guy's inspection coz he is
a loser, and that guy sign like siao, i have seen blatant biaseness
of superior against NSFs, but so what? they ORD, and lead normal
lives.. can YOU do what others can? or are u going to escape? how
long can u escape? forever?
I have given my two cents.. the choice is yours..
EAC reply to a guy who is PES E and want PES F
even a guy with multiple leg fractures when he got knocked
down by a hit-and-run road traffic accident while cycling in his
secondary school days, almost near healing well, occasionally walk
with a slight limp in his left leg, experience numbness, and at
times can't move his legs down his bed when he wake up, when ns
time, get pes e9l9 permanent... and still serve and finish his 2
years vocational clerk... what do u think...
another guy with moderate lower back slipped discs, walk
very slowly with pain, and occasionally wheerchair bound gets pes
c9l9 permanent... another one with "2 holes in heart" also gets pes
c9l9 permanent and also finished their 2 years vocational
clerk...
as said by others, pes f = near death stage/ disabilities /,
and in insurance/medical term, rendered significant physical
disability ("medically-/physically- useless")...
examples but not limited to:
limbless (arms/legs), AIDS (HIV), severe types of cancers
(advanced/late stage) [blood cancer, pancreatic cancer...etc.],
cerebral palsy (spastic), blind, deaf, mute, comatose, paralysis,
down syndrome, IMH certified "untreatable/uncontrolable" mental
illnesses...etc.
purpledragon84 reply to the guy who is PES E and wants PES
F
1,781 posts since Sep '07 29 Jun `08, 11:07AM Originally posted by
eac:even a guy with multiple leg fractures when he got knocked down
by a hit-and-run road traffic accident while cycling in his
secondary school days, almost near healing well, occasionally walk
with a slight limp in his left leg, experience numbness, and at
times can't move his legs down his bed when he wake up, when ns
time, get pes e9l9 permanent... and still serve and finish his 2
years vocational clerk... what do u think...
another guy with moderate lower back slipped discs, walk
very slowly with pain, and occasionally wheerchair bound gets pes
c9l9 permanent... another one with "2 holes in heart" also gets pes
c9l9 permanent and also finished their 2 years vocational
clerk...
as said by others, pes f = near death stage/ disabilities /,
and in insurance/medical term, rendered significant physical
disability ("medically-/physically- useless")...
examples but not limited to:
limbless (arms/legs), AIDS (HIV), severe types of cancers
(advanced/late stage) [blood cancer, pancreatic cancer...etc.],
cerebral palsy (spastic), blind, deaf, mute, comatose, paralysis,
down syndrome, IMH certified "untreatable/uncontrolable" mental
illnesses...etc.
den my that BMT mate really should be pes F.. he is
retarded.. im not insulting him, coz its really macham those kind
young that time tio fever burn the brain kind.. becoz he couldn't
march(those same hand same leg), he did not bathe for the whole
week for 7weeks.. only when he book out the weekend then he bathe..
he doesn't know how to wash his pt kit, he was unable to powder
bath himself in field camp, he cannot speak properly, and he cried
and broke down and faint and whatsoever when those ah beng recruits
bully him and his smart 4 never was..
but he still ord-ed..
are u worse than him?
do u want to be worse than him?
(another guy, not my platoon, he suffer from those hunchback
problem, and it's so serious u can put a glass of water on his back
at the shoulder blade there and he walk and it won't topple..
supposed to pes E, still pes C.. even our CSM said he poor thing,
should be pes E, don't know wtf the MO thinking.. in the end? still
ord..)
are u worse than him?
do u want to be worse than him?
if u are worried about the pay, why cant u tok to ur
parents? it's a family business, surely money is not a
problem?
3. Nowadays, the PES status you are given
is depend on your luck. Even the Medical Board also does not know
what they are doing
http://forums.keeptouch.net/archive/index.php/t-102040.html
4. Every one is suppose to be keng king
and guilty until proven innocent. "Malingering" NS Man Denied
of proper medical treatment dies.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review/messages/912?xm=1&m=e&l=1
From: [email protected]
Date: Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:22 pm
Subject: "Malingering" NS Man Denied of proper medical treatment
dies.
Editors word;
More atrocities uncovered. NS Man accused of malingering, denied of
proper
medical treatment and finally dies.
These are not isolated incidents. In addition to direct physical
and
psychological abuse, denial of proper medical treatment is also a
constant
recurring feature of the Singapore Army.
Many SAF doctors merely "go through the motion" of dignosing and
treating
patients, and often the results are catastrophic. These paper
shuffling
bureucrats have long forgotten their professional oath as medical
doctors and
replaced it with a bureucratic creed which favours career
advancement in the
civil service.
Straits Times
25 Oct 2003
Family sues NUH, 6 doctors
By K.C. Vijayan
THE family of a dead full-time national serviceman is suing
six
doctors and the National University Hospital (NUH), alleging
that
their negligence led to his dying two days after he was admitted
for
a pain in the right leg.
The six include a consultant surgeon and an orthopaedic
specialist
who attended to 23-year-old Chua Ya Ta in June, 2001.
The dead man's parents, carpenter Chua Seow Cheong and housewife
Tan
Hong Eng, both in their early 50s, and his sole surviving brother,
Ya
Lin, 21, are behind the suit, which was filed in the
Subordinate
Courts late last month.
A spokesman for the family's lawyers, Oei and Charles, said that
the
firm is in the process of serving the suit.
Corporal Chua, who was a tank driver in the army, saw the doctor
at
his camp on June 15, 2001, when his leg started hurting, and
was
advised to go to hospital.
At NUH, he received treatment and was sent home.
But less than three hours later, he returned to the hospital
complaining of pain and a fever that came and went, and was
admitted.
In the next two days, despite suffering from the pain, he was
accused
by two of the doctors of malingering 'to avoid his army
training'.
In fact, the morning after he was admitted, his girlfriend,
IT
administrator Gladys Seow, also 23 then, was told by a nurse that
the
hospital wanted to discharge Cpl Chua and was handed a bill for
the
medical charges.
He was not discharged as by then, he had difficulties
standing
without assistance.
At about noon, he fainted in the hospital toilet while
showering.
There was also blood in his stool.
His condition worsened and at about 3pm the day after, he was
given
oxygen because he had difficulty breathing.
By this time, his fingers, toes and face had also turned
slightly
blue.
Distressed, his uncle, businessman Chua Kok Poon, who was
visiting
his nephew then, asked that he be transferred to another
hospital.
At about 5pm, he received a note from a doctor assuring him that
Cpl
Chua was in stable condition and not in 'clinical danger'.
He was later transferred to the intensive care unit, where he died
at
11.10pm of an acute bacterial infection.
The suit alleges that NUH doctors failed to take sufficient steps
to
diagnose the infection and prescribe early treatment.
Contacted on Thursday, an NUH spokesman said that the hospital
had
referred the case to the coroner in 2001 and had cooperated fully
in
the investigation.
She added that the hospital has always kept the lines of
communication with the family open.
'We also offered them grief counselling, as well as our
fullest
assistance whenever appropriate,' she said.
