SAF Colonel dies during Singapore Biathlon
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i almost wanted to ask the same question... so hes not the guy who writes response letters to the newspapers rite?
no......the previous Director of Public Affairs(the one who's always writing in the Straits Times) is called "Bernard Toh".
The current one is Benedict Tan. They hand-take-over in 2005, if I remember.
maybe next victim will be 3-star general? if really got, how? suspend NS???!!! reduce NS time? cut-short reservice requirement?(13 years ---> 10 years ---> 5 years!!!!!)
also, not i want to say, but not only should they review the whole medical system......they should also review the proficiency of the SAF medical officers.
i have always doubted their abilities.......sure, they're CPTs, but are they under-graduate/polytechnic-medical-students-in-training?????!!!!! -
We still don't know the cause of death yet but one assumes it is a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, the lifetime risk of having coronary heart disease after age 40 is 49% for men and 32% for women.
Maybe not so surprising after all...especially since he would have had lots of good food and wine on his salary... -
Haha.. nah, they are full-fledged doctors, as you can see from their prefix CPT(DR). I don't think medical students qualify to use the DR prefix in front of their names.Originally posted by Nikar:also, not i want to say, but not only should they review the whole medical system......they should also review the proficiency of the SAF medical officers.
i have always doubted their abilities.......sure, they're CPTs, but are they under-graduate/polytechnic-medical-students-in-training?????!!!!!
Not sure of the mechanism of sudden cardiac death but i don't think it's the fault of the medical system, after all, this COL probably collapsed and died on the spot. The reports did say that he was given immediate medical attention and was even shocked with the defibrillators. It's just another unfortunate incident that happens rather frequently, people collapsing and dying suddenly following strenuous activity.
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The risk is also related to ethnicity.. Locally, the Indians tend to have a much higher risk compared to the Chinese or the Malays. But for a fit guy to get it at such a young age, he may well have a significant family history of note.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:We still don't know the cause of death yet but one assumes it is a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, the lifetime risk of having coronary heart disease after age 40 is 49% for men and 32% for women.
Maybe not so surprising after all...especially since he would have had lots of good food and wine on his salary... -
If it is not the food, how can it be the air and the water - which 4.5 Million Singaporeans depend on the same ?
It must be the rare commodity that not so many 4.5 Million Singaporeans can claim to, and would probably wish for - the $$$$$$ Monthly Wages of a SAF Coloel .
It is the good life, the good food, the First World environment that the $$$$$$ brings.
Do the Indoensians, Malaysians, Thais, Philippines, Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Myanmese soldiers suffer the same heart disease that attack their 40 Plus adults - especially those in their Military ? -
Please keep this thread respectful.
A friendly reminder. -
COL Bernard Tan was from Guards. Former CO 3 GDS, then Brigade Commander 7 SIB. My ex-Brigade Commander. He was the ACGS (Pers) at the time of his death.
RIP. -
Confirm, he did spend some time before his current posting in JMD as a dept head. Was LTC then.
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But let be realistic.
I believe most of us and not attributing faults to anyone or any organisation....we are just finding the cases more and more frequent...somewhat like that of the bird-flu cases...sprinkling up every where in asia....
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.
i thought that they should at least set up some medical investigative council to check out about these cases if there are any similarities (which i believe alot!) and check if it is due to some viruses, our diet (water source, food, etc), air or what....
They should also try to form alliance (medical) with other countries to pool out all the cases and check them...maybe something IS going around here...and that exercises MAY kill....even if you DO NOT have any PRIOR medical illness, VERY FIT, etc...
cause those cases i know are all VERY fit people who died and they have NO prior medical illnesses....
I mean the related authorites should have the foresight to investigate them... -
my condolences
RIP -
RIP Colonel Tan. Pity that someone of his calibre has to go like that..think he's quite a filial person too...heard that though he's a colonel he still lived with his parents in hdb flat in old estate.....very rare in Singapore liao.....*salutes*
**btw is colonel a very high-ranking post? cos i saw lots of officers attending his wake -
Well, Colonel is a pretty high rank in the SAF, but not really when compared to most other armed forces, e.g. US.
Anyway, I pity the wife and children, who lost a husband and father so early in life. -
dunno how you get into this conclusion...Originally posted by dakkon_blackblade:Well, Colonel is a pretty high rank in the SAF, but not really when compared to most other armed forces, e.g. US.
Anyway, I pity the wife and children, who lost a husband and father so early in life.
a Colonel is a high rank regardless which military they are in...
usually they are Base Commanders, Brigade Commanders, etc. -
i think cos the other countries the military still got alot of ranks while here i think only got 3 mroe isit??Originally posted by Ponders:dunno how you get into this conclusion...
a Colonel is a high rank regardless which military they are in...
usually they are Base Commanders, Brigade Commanders, etc. -
RIP.
Perhaps he wasn't conditioned to do the Biathlon?
But anyway, it was stated in the newspaper that medical personnel stayed on scene for 30 minutes to revive the guy; when ask to explain why not earlier evacuation, they claim that it would be impossible to defib him in the safety ambulance.
I think they should have followed the protocols that has been taught to them in SMM (assuming that the cover medics are normal SAF Medics). Defib can be done in a moving ambulance; all the more with the new Ford Ambulance. The mistake was to delay transport to the hospital where better and intense treatment could be given.
Sadly, I believe there may be a trial for those medical personnel and others involved. [/b] -
Originally posted by RvnRooRon84:
SAF medics covering the Biathlon?No offence, but I'd rather have paramedics there on standby.
RIP.
Perhaps he wasn't conditioned to do the Biathlon?
But anyway, it was stated in the newspaper that medical personnel stayed on scene for 30 minutes to revive the guy; when ask to explain why not earlier evacuation, they claim that it would be impossible to defib him in the safety ambulance.
I think they should have followed the protocols that has been taught to them in SMM (assuming that the cover medics are normal SAF Medics). Defib can be done in a moving ambulance; all the more with the new Ford Ambulance. The mistake was to delay transport to the hospital where better and intense treatment could be given.
Sadly, I believe there may be a trial for those medical personnel and others involved. [/b] -
Lazer is right, this is a public event, they should at least have certified and experienced paramedics performing duties rather than SAF medics though...
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In fact, the Half Marathon also SAF medics lehOriginally posted by nightzip:Lazer is right, this is a public event, they should at least have certified and experienced paramedics performing duties rather than SAF medics though... -
Any idea about his funeral? Where it was held, etc?.. I understand that Snr Officers while in service gets a fairly grand funeral.
Originally posted by sadistmy:
On a separate note, heard that COL Tan (RIP) was a very fit fella that trains very regularly. I guess when it's time to go.. what plans also no use. But this statement from his wife is quite heartwrenching....
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The wake is held at void deck blk 223 toa payoh lor 8 and extended to the open space near the void....quite grand....definitely not like the usual wakes tat took place frequently in tat area...todae the wake is into the 4th day.....a mixture of the normal traditional chinese style minus the funeral band and with some Christian 'feel' to it...just my guess.....not realli sure what Christian funerals are like
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RIP
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Originally posted by RvnRooRon84:
I think the medics are acting according to some standing orders for them. It seems that everytime incidents of collaspe happen, they take at least 20 to 30 minutes to evacuate the victim.
RIP.
Perhaps he wasn't conditioned to do the Biathlon?
But anyway, it was stated in the newspaper that medical personnel stayed on scene for 30 minutes to revive the guy; when ask to explain why not earlier evacuation, they claim that it would be impossible to defib him in the safety ambulance.
I think they should have followed the protocols that has been taught to them in SMM (assuming that the cover medics are normal SAF Medics). Defib can be done in a moving ambulance; all the more with the new Ford Ambulance. The mistake was to delay transport to the hospital where better and intense treatment could be given.
Sadly, I believe there may be a trial for those medical personnel and others involved. [/b]
Maybe the medics should have expedite the situation according to their experience and instinct. I can't say that I'm right as I'm not a medic. These are just my thoughts.
Then again, how could one expect fast evacuation when you can spend 2 hours waiting to see MO at Medical Centre, and another few hours for your medicine and status?
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Just asking, but kinda off topic
When there's a wake, the officers there are from the unit and whenever possible wear No 5 uniform?
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MINDEF has made a hyperlink at MINDEF main webpage for the late COL's Pionter article he wrote years back
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Was there an arrhythmia that could be corrected by defib in the first place? If he was in asystole, they needed to get the adrenaline in before there is any ECG tracing to talk about.Originally posted by RvnRooRon84:RIP.
Defib can be done in a moving ambulance; all the more with the new Ford Ambulance.
My guess is that they couldn't even get a drip set in, not to talk about defibrillation. You can certainly do defib in an ambulance but you will find it very difficult to set a drip in a moving ambulance if you haven't had much experience. If they couldn't get a drip in on firm ground, they cannot hope to do it in the ambulance.
Most of the medics haven't set drips since SMM, especially if they are combat medics. In my experience, only service medics in the sickbay set drips on a regular basis.