SAF Colonel dies during Singapore Biathlon
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Quite true.
It's definitely not as much the Biathlon, but rather the shockwaves that will prove to be a watershed. -
His only 600m away from the finishing line....this is significant....
cuz, if he had been able to endure it for another 20-30s or so, he would have stopped running...that would have at least eased his heart and perhaps even prevented the attack from occurring...
Life is so unpredictive....i mean if he has another 2-3 km to go, then perhaps its fated, cuz he would have continued running still etc...
but 600m, then when he reached finishing line, he would have stopped and rested and even drank abit of water or cooled down by pouring water on his head etc.... his "irregular" heartbeat could have recovered.....
perhaps he intends to pick up speed during the last 1km or 800m to spur on to get a better timing... -
my condolences to the family.
his children so young... -
Oh manz...
Could there be a problem with our diet and drinks?
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sometimes whenever SAF cardiac arrest deaths occur, i have a feeling it is the cookhouse food we eat.Originally posted by deathscythe99:Oh manz...
Could there be a problem with our diet and drinks?
Cookhouse food if you notice are very unhealthy...
1) gravy will have a THICK layer of oil,
2) chicken skin are not removed, (saturated fats)
3) fats of meat are not removed
4) Cordial drinks EVERYDAY (sugar and colouring)
5) cooking oil is vegetable oil and cheapest around (more saturated fats)
6) french fries are unhealthy enough, but cookhouse french fries are soaked with oil -
During BMT days, we were taught mind control our body. With that kind of mindset, I used to get gold for IPPT test during those days. I think the colonel's mind pushed his body way beyond his physical limit. Sad.
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This concern of your is actuallynot founded if u ponder deeper into the system. On the contrary, the SAF cookhouses operated by Singapore Food Industries and NTUC Foodfare have have to comform to strict dietry standards in the meals that they prepare as stapulated in their terms of contract. To govern this system, the are mechanisms in place to check the the quality of food which is prepared.
sometimes whenever SAF cardiac arrest deaths occur, i have a feeling it is the cookhouse food we eat.
Cookhouse food if you notice are very unhealthy...
1) gravy will have a THICK layer of oil,
2) chicken skin are not removed, (saturated fats)
3) fats of meat are not removed
4) Cordial drinks EVERYDAY (sugar and colouring)
5) cooking oil is vegetable oil and cheapest around (more saturated fats)
6) french fries are unhealthy enough, but cookhouse french fries are soaked with oil
a) Firstly, individuals soldiers perform weeky surveys of the food that is prepared.
b) Secondly, DSTA performs surprise sport checks on the cook house from time to time to collect food samples to sent to the laboratories for analysis to ensure that the dietry requirements are met (with some degree ofdiscrepancises built in of course)
While, it is undeniable that deep fried foofs are unhealty, but they are only served once a week ( another term in their contract ). From what i also understand and observe at my ex cook house, they are also not allowed to serve more than 1 type of processed food (sardines, fishballs, fish cake etc) item in the menu for each meal.
In fact, for the typical SAF soldiers, if he were to just stick to the cookhouse diet and not eat other canteen foods and maintain a level of physical activity they is no reason for him to gain too much weight. Of course not everyone abide by this and some will even skip their meals at the cookhouse just to patronise the canteen.......
Besides, if the cookhouse were only to serve all the healthy foods, do u think all the soldiers would really like it? On the other hand, to applease the typical 19-20 yr old enlistee the cookhouses just have to prepare fried food every meal to please them.....but they do it? The answer is obviously no too. So the system is balance by serving them a variety of foods in the weekly menu to balance the 2 issues of variety and nutritional contents.
Lastly, if u really doubt what i am saying, just visit your cookhouse for every meal in any given week and draw yr own observations and conclusions....... -
Not sure if that would have helped.. in some of these sudden cardiac death cases, the victim actually collapsed some time after physical exertion, maybe due to the fact that the heart had already become too strained during the exercise.Originally posted by nightzip:His only 600m away from the finishing line....this is significant....
cuz, if he had been able to endure it for another 20-30s or so, he would have stopped running...that would have at least eased his heart and perhaps even prevented the attack from occurring...
Life is so unpredictive....i mean if he has another 2-3 km to go, then perhaps its fated, cuz he would have continued running still etc...
but 600m, then when he reached finishing line, he would have stopped and rested and even drank abit of water or cooled down by pouring water on his head etc.... his "irregular" heartbeat could have recovered.....
perhaps he intends to pick up speed during the last 1km or 800m to spur on to get a better timing...
During strenuous exercises like this, it is not always 'mind over body'... sometimes symptoms like chest pain/tightness are actually the body's cry for help and should not go unheeded. -
Yes, I am myself familiar with the cookhouse system and that food are actually "ordered" by DSTA rather than up to Contractor's own choosing.
But despite all the regulations in place...
Steamed or boiled oily chicken isn't fried.
Sometimes contractors try their luck and serve many "goodies" in a week just to ramp up surveyOriginally posted by juay323:This concern of your is actuallynot founded if u ponder deeper into the system. On the contrary, the SAF cookhouses operated by Singapore Food Industries and NTUC Foodfare have have to comform to strict dietry standards in the meals that they prepare as stapulated in their terms of contract. To govern this system, the are mechanisms in place to check the the quality of food which is prepared.
a) Firstly, individuals soldiers perform weeky surveys of the food that is prepared.
b) Secondly, DSTA performs surprise sport checks on the cook house from time to time to collect food samples to sent to the laboratories for analysis to ensure that the dietry requirements are met (with some degree ofdiscrepancises built in of course)
While, it is undeniable that deep fried foofs are unhealty, but they are only served once a week ( another term in their contract ). From what i also understand and observe at my ex cook house, they are also not allowed to serve more than 1 type of processed food (sardines, fishballs, fish cake etc) item in the menu for each meal.
In fact, for the typical SAF soldiers, if he were to just stick to the cookhouse diet and not eat other canteen foods and maintain a level of physical activity they is no reason for him to gain too much weight. Of course not everyone abide by this and some will even skip their meals at the cookhouse just to patronise the canteen.......
Besides, if the cookhouse were only to serve all the healthy foods, do u think all the soldiers would really like it? On the other hand, to applease the typical 19-20 yr old enlistee the cookhouses just have to prepare fried food every meal to please them.....but they do it? The answer is obviously no too. So the system is balance by serving them a variety of foods in the weekly menu to balance the 2 issues of variety and nutritional contents.
Lastly, if u really doubt what i am saying, just visit your cookhouse for every meal in any given week and draw yr own observations and conclusions....... -
If im not wrong, he used to be the CO of 3rd Guards from 98 to 2000, i served out my remaining mths of NS in HQ over there there during his tenure ... Although, i didnt interact with him directly, he seemed quite at ease in talking to the men n motivating them to do their best, and he was known to be quite fit for his age...
Quite a high flyer, back then he just got promoted to LTC and had option to be posted back to MINDEF HQ, but he wanted to see out his tour with 3rd Gds till they ORD
all the more suprising that this would happen... probably its Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome...can happen to anyone of us, if we exert ourselves too much physically, esp during runs if yr body is not conditioned for excessive exertion
RIP Col Tan -
The way the SAF Medical Centre conducts FFI for those below and above 35 is suitable to determine fully-fit office workers, not soldiers and sports people.
And it's conducted by ONE GP MO officer. -
The Col worked in Gombak issit?Originally posted by Ponders:Yes, I am myself familiar with the cookhouse system and that food are actually "ordered" by DSTA rather than up to Contractor's own choosing.
But despite all the regulations in place...
Steamed or boiled oily chicken isn't fried.
Sometimes contractors try their luck and serve many "goodies" in a week just to ramp up survey
The standard there should be quite stringent? -
the surveys in the cookhouse is for shows nia. you can't put lousy (extras to sign if you do so) even if the food is really bad. so what the point of having it in the first place?Originally posted by juay323:This concern of your is actuallynot founded if u ponder deeper into the system. On the contrary, the SAF cookhouses operated by Singapore Food Industries and NTUC Foodfare have have to comform to strict dietry standards in the meals that they prepare as stapulated in their terms of contract. To govern this system, the are mechanisms in place to check the the quality of food which is prepared.
a) Firstly, individuals soldiers perform weeky surveys of the food that is prepared.
b) Secondly, DSTA performs surprise sport checks on the cook house from time to time to collect food samples to sent to the laboratories for analysis to ensure that the dietry requirements are met (with some degree ofdiscrepancises built in of course)
While, it is undeniable that deep fried foofs are unhealty, but they are only served once a week ( another term in their contract ). From what i also understand and observe at my ex cook house, they are also not allowed to serve more than 1 type of processed food (sardines, fishballs, fish cake etc) item in the menu for each meal.
In fact, for the typical SAF soldiers, if he were to just stick to the cookhouse diet and not eat other canteen foods and maintain a level of physical activity they is no reason for him to gain too much weight. Of course not everyone abide by this and some will even skip their meals at the cookhouse just to patronise the canteen.......
Besides, if the cookhouse were only to serve all the healthy foods, do u think all the soldiers would really like it? On the other hand, to applease the typical 19-20 yr old enlistee the cookhouses just have to prepare fried food every meal to please them.....but they do it? The answer is obviously no too. So the system is balance by serving them a variety of foods in the weekly menu to balance the 2 issues of variety and nutritional contents.
Lastly, if u really doubt what i am saying, just visit your cookhouse for every meal in any given week and draw yr own observations and conclusions....... -
I am not from the Medical Corps,
but i dont see they could do anything by the time he collapsed.
We would all like to assume that if a better medical management is in place,
such incidents could be prevented.
But let be realistic.
Arent all these SAF personnel knows better the infamous line,
"Before we start this evolution, is there anyone who is unwell?"
hence i think personnal responsibility comes first, (RIP Col Tan)
the organisation or ground system can only do this much,
and i even heard that the registerants had to pass a swim trial,
before they could qualify as a participants to take part.
So if we were to pin-point on the management for better handling of such incident,
arent we all have the Medical Corps line up all along the event route,
have a trial run or swim similiar to the event (if Marathon then die lar)
and all these "better" management of incidents factors will go on and on.
If you think that the race is tough for you,
wouldnt you train up for it?
If you think that the event is too tough for you,
wouldnt you walk away from it?
If you think you are not in the best form for that event day,
shouldnt you just call it off?
Lets take responsibility on ourselves, and not rely on a better system to assist,
coz end of the day, the collateral damage is felt most by our love ones.
Its our body, our life, our responsibility and our committment to our love ones.
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What is a 'GP MO officer'?Originally posted by macjoe:The way the SAF Medical Centre conducts FFI for those below and above 35 is suitable to determine fully-fit office workers, not soldiers and sports people.
And it's conducted by ONE GP MO officer.
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i think his office is in gombak. if thats the case... i think he everyday eat canteen. besides... he could always drive out and eat somewhere.Originally posted by Icemoon:The Col worked in Gombak issit?
The standard there should be quite stringent? -
The problem with cookhouse food is simple, does anyone really eat there everyday?
I think it's more like the stringent requirements making everyone go to canteen and eat instead of the cookhouse, not the requirements themselves got problem.
I for one, never saw the top people eating at the cookhouse. It's always the canteen. -
u've never really eaten cookhouse food have u?Originally posted by juay323:This concern of your is actuallynot founded if u ponder deeper into the system. On the contrary, the SAF cookhouses operated by Singapore Food Industries and NTUC Foodfare have have to comform to strict dietry standards in the meals that they prepare as stapulated in their terms of contract. To govern this system, the are mechanisms in place to check the the quality of food which is prepared.
a) Firstly, individuals soldiers perform weeky surveys of the food that is prepared.
b) Secondly, DSTA performs surprise sport checks on the cook house from time to time to collect food samples to sent to the laboratories for analysis to ensure that the dietry requirements are met (with some degree ofdiscrepancises built in of course)
While, it is undeniable that deep fried foofs are unhealty, but they are only served once a week ( another term in their contract ). From what i also understand and observe at my ex cook house, they are also not allowed to serve more than 1 type of processed food (sardines, fishballs, fish cake etc) item in the menu for each meal.
In fact, for the typical SAF soldiers, if he were to just stick to the cookhouse diet and not eat other canteen foods and maintain a level of physical activity they is no reason for him to gain too much weight. Of course not everyone abide by this and some will even skip their meals at the cookhouse just to patronise the canteen.......
Besides, if the cookhouse were only to serve all the healthy foods, do u think all the soldiers would really like it? On the other hand, to applease the typical 19-20 yr old enlistee the cookhouses just have to prepare fried food every meal to please them.....but they do it? The answer is obviously no too. So the system is balance by serving them a variety of foods in the weekly menu to balance the 2 issues of variety and nutritional contents.
Lastly, if u really doubt what i am saying, just visit your cookhouse for every meal in any given week and draw yr own observations and conclusions.......
Anyways, SFI is also another big WAYANG lar. My camp cookhouse had this very bad habit of serving a lot of canned preserve meats. How healthy can that get? The food also salty like hell.
True, the soldiers survey, and the food improves... for a week. Den the same ol' shit happens again.
Seriously, i don't blame the food for the deaths. I believe its the water and the air that we have. Singapore's air isn't getting any cleaner. -
isn't this the bernard tan who always provides mindef's highly subject-dodging excuse-ridden replies in the papers?
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u've never really eaten cookhouse food have u?
Anyways, SFI is also another big WAYANG lar. My camp cookhouse had this very bad habit of serving a lot of canned preserve meats. How healthy can that get? The food also salty like hell.
True, the soldiers survey, and the food improves... for a week. Den the same ol' #@!* happens again.
Seriously, i don't blame the food for the deaths. I believe its the water and the air that we have. Singapore's air isn't getting any cleaner.
1) For the record, I have been in service for 6years. In which, i have eaten at P.Tekong, SAFTI MI, Jurong Camp, Nee Soon Camp, Hendon and Seletar Camp.
2) Yes, i do admit that the food is not perfect. But, can any other contractor or the old SAF cooks fare any better in providing better nutrition? .....i'll leave u all to decide. My point is that the food is indeed meant to be nutritious. The fact that units tolerate such misadventure by SFI to serve such oily, fattening and salty food is infact mismanagement by yr unit comd, logistics officer....they have not demanded for standards frm the contractors which they have every right to do so to begin with.
3) Lets also not deviate too much frm this topic, and be too speculative in our own assumptions on the poosible casuation of the death. Lets all be respectful to the deceased officer and his family. We will leave the postmortem to deliver the facts. -
General Practitioner Medical Officer.Originally posted by cornyfish2000:What is a 'GP MO officer'?
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He looks familiar. Any idea if he's served in JMPD before going back to Army?
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when its time to go...its time to go...nth can stop u...
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nope, that's another COL Bernard Tan....Originally posted by vito_corleone:isn't this the bernard tan who always provides mindef's highly subject-dodging excuse-ridden replies in the papers? -
another army personnel....
more and more army personnels died from my cases...
is it too much of a coincidence or is there some terriosts' activity behind it?