( I think Raffles Hospital should've "clarified" from the very beginning, in their first Forum letter. )
Transcribed from Stomp Online:
It was right to send injured from Ferrari-taxi crash to TTSH , say specialists
STOMPers questioned the SCDF's decision to send the injured from the fatal Ferrari-taxi crash on May 12 to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and not the nearby Raffles Hospital. Well, they 'made the right call', say a group of top emergency medicine specialists.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Singapore General Hospital were further away from the crash site than Raffles Hospital, which is privately run, but they are better equipped and staffed to handle such cases, said the group of five specialists.
The public hospitals are also part of the Ministry of Health's 'national emergency and trauma system', and as a requirement, they have the facilities, equipment and specialists available all the time to handle multiple emergency and trauma victims.
The group of specialists who issued the joint statement on Friday, May 25, are: Associate Professor Mohan Tiru, chairman of the Singapore Residency Advisory Committee of Emergency Medicine; Professor V. Anatharaman, chairman of the Chapter of Emergency Physicians at the Academy of Medicine; Associate Professor Lim Swee Han, president of the Singapore Society of Emergency Medicine; Associate Professor Goh Siang Hong, chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Dr Chiu Ming Terk, chairman of the National Trauma Committee at the Ministry of Health (MOH).
General manager for Raffles Hospital, Prem Kumar Nair, clarified that the hospital's specialists are not on site at all times, while those in SGH and TTSH had emergency-medicine specialists, surgeons, anaesthetists and radiologists on site, round the clock as minutes matter in emergencies.
Raffles Hospital's doctors were trained in emergency medicine and managed trauma cases regularly around the clock, said a spokesperson, but confirmed it did not have specialists trained in emergency medicine.
"Proximity is important, but more important is the degree and level of care available around the clock," said Dr Chia Shi-Lu, an SGH orthopaedic surgeon and member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health.
Said STOMPer Henry, after reading the report:
"I'm glad the specialists and the hospitals came out to answer our queries and to ease our concerns.
"I'm glad that we have such a good healthcare system here, but I also wish that not just the public hospitals but the private hospitals can also have an across-the-board medical approach so that in times of emergency, there are more options available to send the patients to."
Private Hospitals Part 2 - The Plot Thickens
Sunday, May 27, 2012 | Labels: ambulances, emergency, emergency department, ministry of health, private hospitals, singapore civil defence
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5 comments:
Do all public hospitals really have emergency medicine specialists (not advanced trainees) on call round the clock?? If so, I am impressed, well done!
On another note, I wonder what SOS and the other companies think about the fact that Raffles now says that it does not have Emergency Medicine specialists
Let's put it this way
We dont sent trauma patients to RH because they cant handle trauma cases.
Then how come NSF and NSmen involved in RTA are sent to SAF medical centre instead of public hospitals immediately?
SAF medical centre better than RH?
Dear Prof, all but 1 public hospital ED has round-the-clock senior cover. I shall not name the institution in case I get into trouble. :)
I do not doubt that private hospitals receive seriously ill or collapse cases from time to time, but the loads are obviously nowhere close to what the public sector handles, and standards of care will also vary significantly.
SOS transfers are usually stable, with beds under the respective specialists booked in advance. Such cases are relatively easy to manage even if it's an MO manning the ED.
Anonymous: The SAF has cited the proximity issue previously, especially for ulu or off-the-mainland areas.
If someone has details of the evacuation protocol, that would be helpful.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120515-0000050/MINDEF-reviewing-medical-procedures
Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency MP Lim Wee Kiak suggested the SAF relook its "medical response for severe injury". Questioning whether the evacuation to an SAF medical centre is "the most appropriate", Dr Lim said: "Or should they be evacuated directly to the hospital if there is a nearby hospital, because the hospital's capability is definitely higher as compared to medical centres?"
I can vouch that that certain public hospital does not have round the clock consultant cover on the floor. Isn't that great training and character building for advanced trainees in EM? No molly coddling can be a good thing.
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