SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES TRAINING CASUALTIES
2. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide a breakdown of yearly statistics, from the inception of the Singapore Armed Forces to date, on (i) the number of training deaths per year; (ii) the number of injuries that resulted in loss and/or impairment of functions of bodily parts; and (iii) the number of servicemen who were hospitalised for more than three days per year due to training accidents.
RAdm Teo Chee Hean:
MINDEF has compiled the figures for number of injuries, and deaths due to training for the last 10 years. Over the past 10 years, an average of 3.7 deaths each year is attributable to training. Between 1994 to 1998, there were 21 deaths attributable to training. There were 16 deaths between 1999 to Oct 2003. Between 1994 to Oct 2003, there were 3,703 cases of injuries from all causes. This figure includes injuries not caused by training. For 2003, there were 256 injury cases of which 196 were training related. MINDEFÂ’s database captures data on hospitalisation since 2000. Based on our records for the past 4 years, an average of 8.6 servicemen were hospitalised each month due to medical conditions attributable to training. The available data does not differentiate between hospitalisation for periods of less than as compared to more than 3 days.
This is the first time that a Defence Minister revealed the statistics for training deaths & injuries in the SAF in Parliament, but it was not even mentioned in any local news report, kind of self-censoreship by the local media.
He only revealed statistics for the last ten years which they have placed strong emphasis on safety regulation yet SAF still has 3.7 deaths/year.
Wondered what is the death rate due to training accident during 70s to mid 80s where there is little safety regulation at all!
And how abt the those that have committed suicide especially the early years of NS?