A coroner's court on Monday heard that Singapore Armed Forces combat medics are not fully equipped to handle asthma attacks among its servicemen.
SINGAPORE: A coroner's court on Monday heard that Singapore Armed Forces combat (SAF) medics are not fully equipped to handle asthma attacks among its servicemen.
This was raised on Monday, during an inquiry into the death of full-time national serviceman Dominique Sarron Lee, who died in April 2012.
Private Lee's family members were present in court.
The 21-year-old died during an urban obstacle training exercise involving smoke grenades.
Captain Chia Thye Siong - the chief safety officer for the exercise last year - told the court that combat medics had no formal training to deal with soldiers suffering from asthma attacks.
He added commanding officers were not trained to identify or predict possible factors that would cause an asthma attack.
Medic Goh Khen Hui, who attended to Private Lee during his asthma attack, also told the court he was not trained to handle asthmatic soldiers. (Act blur live longer
)
Lance-Corporal Goh said he had helped Private Lee with his breathing, by giving him an oxygen mask. He also arranged for a vehicle to send Private Lee to the nearest medical centre at Sungei Gedong. Lance-Corporal Goh said Ventolin, an inhaler for asthma attacks, was not among the medical equipment.
The defence ministry's own committee of inquiry had found clear breaches of training safety regulations. A platoon commander threw six smoke grenades even though regulations specified no more than two grenades were allowed.
The state coroner heard that the number of smoke grenades thrown is debatable.
The court heard that the purpose of the grenade was to create a smoke screen to simulate attack under foggy conditions.
Captain Chia said from a tactical view point, the more smoke there is, the better it would be to mask a troop's movement. [LOL?!]
The court heard that if a platoon commander decides that the throwing of two smoke grenades does not create that effect, he could throw more.
Captain Chia told the court that the Training Safety Regulations did not prohibit the throwing of more than two smoke grenades.
Captain Najib, who was the Platoon Commander for the exercise, said he threw the extra grenades because there was no wind that day to create the required smoke screen effect.
He also told the court that the troop which Private Lee was in had been handed extra grenades.
The usual number issued to a platoon commander was three but six in total were issued.
This was because another troop had not taken part in the exercise and the commander decided to take their grenades.
Captain Chia also told the court that soldiers with medical conditions wore wrist tags.
This was to allow officers in charge to identify and pay more attention to these soldiers.
Private Lee was asthmatic and had worn a blue tag to indicate his medical history.
The inquiry continues on 17 May.
- CNA/ck
SINGAPORE: A coroner's court on Monday heard that Singapore Armed Forces combat (SAF) medics are not fully equipped to handle asthma attacks among its servicemen.
This was raised on Monday, during an inquiry into the death of full-time national serviceman Dominique Sarron Lee, who died in April 2012.
Private Lee's family members were present in court.
The 21-year-old died during an urban obstacle training exercise involving smoke grenades.
Captain Chia Thye Siong - the chief safety officer for the exercise last year - told the court that combat medics had no formal training to deal with soldiers suffering from asthma attacks.
He added commanding officers were not trained to identify or predict possible factors that would cause an asthma attack.
Medic Goh Khen Hui, who attended to Private Lee during his asthma attack, also told the court he was not trained to handle asthmatic soldiers. (Act blur live longer
)Lance-Corporal Goh said he had helped Private Lee with his breathing, by giving him an oxygen mask. He also arranged for a vehicle to send Private Lee to the nearest medical centre at Sungei Gedong. Lance-Corporal Goh said Ventolin, an inhaler for asthma attacks, was not among the medical equipment.
The defence ministry's own committee of inquiry had found clear breaches of training safety regulations. A platoon commander threw six smoke grenades even though regulations specified no more than two grenades were allowed.
The state coroner heard that the number of smoke grenades thrown is debatable.
The court heard that the purpose of the grenade was to create a smoke screen to simulate attack under foggy conditions.
Captain Chia said from a tactical view point, the more smoke there is, the better it would be to mask a troop's movement. [LOL?!]
The court heard that if a platoon commander decides that the throwing of two smoke grenades does not create that effect, he could throw more.
Captain Chia told the court that the Training Safety Regulations did not prohibit the throwing of more than two smoke grenades.
Captain Najib, who was the Platoon Commander for the exercise, said he threw the extra grenades because there was no wind that day to create the required smoke screen effect.
He also told the court that the troop which Private Lee was in had been handed extra grenades.
The usual number issued to a platoon commander was three but six in total were issued.
This was because another troop had not taken part in the exercise and the commander decided to take their grenades.
Captain Chia also told the court that soldiers with medical conditions wore wrist tags.
This was to allow officers in charge to identify and pay more attention to these soldiers.
Private Lee was asthmatic and had worn a blue tag to indicate his medical history.
The inquiry continues on 17 May.
- CNA/ck
