by Elena Chong
A DOCTOR died from an accidental overdose of drugs at a flat in
Jurong East Street 21 in March last year following a similar
incident seven months earlier in a hotel room, a coroner's court
heard.
Dr Chew Sung Lock, 45, a resident doctor with SMU Medicare
clinic, was found lying on the floor of his unit with the door
half-opened but the gate padlocked by a resident on March 29 who
thought he was asleep. He and his family were living in a house in
the East Coast area. The next day, when the neighbour found him in
the same position, he called the police.
Dr Chew's wife had reported him missing on March 29 after she
failed to reach him. She was worried about his heart condition as
he had been taking medication for his stroke, as well as his heart
and thyroid conditions.
At a coroner's inquest into his death on Monday, the court heard
that Dr Chew had confided in his wife early last year that he was
stressed over his work. He was very sad over his father's death in
March last year.
The court heard that Dr Chew, a former stroke patient, was
admitted to Changi General Hospital in late July 2009 for
overdosing on anti-depressants and sleeping pills at a hotel in
Changi. A psychiatrist had found that he was not depressed nor
suicidal. Dr Chew had checked into the hotel as he had had an
argument with his wife and wanted to sleep it off.
His wife had told police that he was a loving husband and father
to their three children.