Since when Polytechnics to be blamed for NSF deaths???

[Help1]

NSman who died had not submitted medical certificate

By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 October 2008 1702 hrs

 

SINGAPORE: Investigations into the death of full-time National Serviceman Joe Foo Wei Rong found that he had been given medical leave two days before he died but he did not inform officials about it.

 

The Defence Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that a medical certificate dated September 28 was found in Private Foo's personal bunk cupboard after his death. The medical centre had no documentation of his medical certificate.

 

Soldiers are required to submit certifications of their medical conditions at the centre.

 

Private Foo had seen a doctor at the Singapore General Hospital on Sunday. He was supposed to rest from September 28 to 29 for "sprains and strains of the knee and leg", and to be given light duties for the subsequent four days.

 

It is not known why Private Foo did not report his medical condition, but investigations are currently underway and a full report is expected in eight weeks.

 

The former Singapore Polytechnic student died on Tuesday while doing chin-ups at Lim Chu Kang camp.

 

Friends and relatives remember Private Foo as an athletic young man who enjoyed basketball, and his death came as a shock to many who turned up at his wake on Thursday.

 

Private Foo is the third full-time National Serviceman to have died in camp this year. Recruit Andrew Cheah and Officer Cadet Clifton Lam suffered the same fate in June.

 

All three were former students at polytechnics where physical activities are not compulsory, unlike junior colleges where exercise is part of the curriculum.

 

Chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs Indranee Rajah, who is also the MP of Tanjong Pagar GRC, said: "Obviously it needs to be studied more deeply and carefully, but to me, it does seem to me that before anybody goes in for NS, the preconditioning is important.

 

"And as far as possible, from secondary school, all the way to the time they enter National Service for BMT (Basic Military Training), it's important that the levels of fitness should be maintained."

 

The polytechnics that were contacted said they have many sporting activities in place for students.

 

Singapore Polytechnic says an estimated 15 per cent of total student population take part in sports. Half of its 2007 graduating cohort sat for the National Physical Fitness Award tests, an increase from 35 per cent in the previous year.

 

 

the blaming games has started since the parents of the deceased NSF blamed SAF for letting his son attending physical training even though there was a valid MC. SAF conducted investigation and found out that the deceased did not submit the MC to MO. So now everyone is going to find a black sheep.

 

SAF and an MP seems to put the blame on polys for not being able to precondition male enlistees during poly terms...KNN ...might as well blame the deceased and parents for allowing the son to attend poly in the 1st place...or might as well blame the whole govt for setting up polys in the early days.....

 

it is individual responsibility to condition own body and keep fit to maintain healthy...

[Nullifi3d]

Millions of sons who went through Polys without going through a form of physical education survived NS and now they want to blame poly. Muahahahah.

 

Sometimes a solitary fault can lie with the deceased because we are all humans. We make mistakes.

 

If the parents want to seek solace they shouldn't be playing the blame game.

[Blackyv]

these guys are genius... they can come out with such a "formula"......who the hell would have thought of getting the polytechnics into the picture.... only these genius can.....

[Help1]

ya lor...i went thru poly, never play sports during that period, barely passed my nafa test, then in the end kenna pes A.

[Rickster]

This whole issue is getting out of hand and i'm sure our nothern and southern neighbours are laughing at us now.

 

1) The MC that was given is for sprains and I don't see how come a sprain can induce a heart attach during chin up.

 

2) The blame polytechnic for not giving enough physical training to students. But in the first place, isn't private Foo already an active athelete in school?

 

These arguments that do not make sense are beginning to sound so much like our northern neighbours's politicians alrdy.

[Help1]

not genius...is the highly-paid talented scholarly civil servants

[Jonbummer]

personally, i feel there's a fishy bit to this story.

WHY had he not gave the MC to his PC or Sgt?

 

was he been gung ho? wanted to show everyone that

he can still do wat others do even though he's unwell.

is he going for the Best Recruit? aiming for OCS?

 

OR

 

was he been intimated to keep his MC in his locker?

else being told that he will have to repeat the whole BMT

again? or being put on guard duty for weekends?

 

and i'm not going into how the MC of 'sprains and strains'

on his knee and leg, translated to unconsciousness while

doing chin ups? but then, i'm no MD.

 

just my views.

 

my sincere condolences to the parents.

 

folded national flag and a peak cap. He stood up and accepted

both items, but he was clearly heartbroken.

He said: 'I don't want the flag. I want my son back.'>

Edited October 3, 2008 by Jonbummer

[Yaloryalor]

Training the recruits to be fit and ready to fight is the job of SAF mah.

[Gearoil]

Why are you asking so many 'relevant' questions?

 

Haven't you learnt?

 

The blame game has already started looonnnnng ago, since that Mat escaped from the holiday resort and someone refused to take the blame for it, let alone quit!

[Jc777]

when i was in SISPEC back in 1998, whoever reported sick and get MC, will have to stay back during weekend (read: confinement) to make up for 'lost time', to do 'self-study' and 'self-revision' for the training missed.

 

so unless one was very very sick, do you think he would want to report sick? wherez the logic? think about it.

was he been intimated to keep his MC in his locker? else being told that he will have to repeat the whole BMT again? or being put on guard duty for weekends?

[Help1]

he already finished his bmt, just assigned to the unit...

[Law_ong]

not genius...is the highly-paid talented scholarly civil servants

 

i'm one that against having highly paid talented scholarly but for this case, its the parent that starts the blaming without having concrete info of the cause. in the first place, its not an MC. Any MC from hospital does not require you to report back to camp, unless u get MC from GP.

 

Its excuse for lower limb, doing chin-up & push-up is upper-limb and that is not against the excuse given by the hosp (note the deceased has yet to submit the letter from hosp and i assume the section cmdr might have been informed thus he might have ommitted the rest or he didnt inform them and complete 5bx - fault of his).

 

lot of grievances on the parent for losing a son of many years but to blame without concrete conclusion is not the way and its now has basically opened up the blaming game by the highly paid - which they should be focusing on more impt stuff to justify their income rather than way to divert attention on the cause...

[Jonbummer]

opphs

[Application9999]

knn..i also fresh out of poly before doing my ns many years ago..and i never take part in a single sport event in poly....how come never see i die in NS...and I can clear SOC in 8 min flat during BMT.....what stupid excuse again from our elite group...!!!scrap the damn NS lah...so no one die...

Edited October 3, 2008 by Application9999

[Jonbummer]

dun most guys went thru all these phrase

 

which beg the qnn of is the system at fault of this death?

because the way this report seems to suggest is that the

deceased shld have submitted his MC, his fault?

 

however fails to explore WHY hasn't he...

[Mean76]

My personal opinion, and i'm really not sure if I will get into troble by saying so.

 

It's in the food they eat.

 

I realised this in my ICT, it's good food served no doubt but I do not think it is good for our body organs, too many goodies ... given the standard army type of physical training.

 

Donkey years back ... No 'commerical' food. Nothing so serious happened.

 

Nowadays, within a space of xx years, the numbers of death is almost kinda related to organ function failure. Is it really training too much or too tough? I don't think so.

[Megaweb]

Polytechnics Inst. should have SOC and IPPT for pre-NSF fitness

 

 

I think they should investigate why he did not submit the mc. Something fishy

Edited October 3, 2008 by Megaweb

[Genie47]

We should give recruits the French Foreign Legion standard breakfast. A cup of coffee and a hard roll to train them for the harsh realities of combat survival which is basically almost nothing to eat.