Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Singapore's Defence ministry replies to mother's concerns over National Service (NS)

The Straits Times Forum

http://www.straitstimes.com/
Published on Aug 16, 2011

Safety of national servicemen a top priority: Mindef

THE Ministry of Defence (Mindef) shares Ms Looi Pek Hong's concern ('National service: A mother's constant worry'; last Friday) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will do all it can to ensure the safety of national servicemen.

Their safety is a top priority. We have a robust system built on internationally accepted guidelines to ensure high standards of safety.

Each commander knows that he has the direct responsibility to ensure the safety of his men in the midst of realistic training. They have to comply with safety procedures, which are prescribed for every training activity and reviewed regularly.

As safety procedures cannot cover all contingencies, individual servicemen have also been taught to remain alert to their own health and surroundings, and to take personal action to safeguard their own safety and that of their buddies during training.

Each time an incident occurs, procedures and precautions are thoroughly reviewed at many levels to improve our safety system.

Mindef and the SAF will strive continually to improve our safety record and we appreciate the commitment and dedication of our servicemen and their families to national service.

Colonel Desmond Tan
Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Beeping alarm to be installed in SAF Vehicles" http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/beeping-alarms-installed-saf-vehicles-031035854.html

I wonder if this press release was pushed out early, timed to within a week of the letter reply just to reassure the public over steps to improve safety of SAF vehicles.

Anonymous said...

Where would that picture in the article be- Bedok Camp?

Forest Person said...

I appreciate everything done for NS men but I feel it is not enough. These are some of the reasons:

1. Parents/guardians noticed (during camp tours) that fruits were not served, but instead sugar-laden ice-cream. (Could they have missed the fruits section or there was not one?)

Vitamin C in fruits are proven to help prevent virus infections, viruses such as Ebola, Mers and Polio: http://www.koip.info.ke/index.php/news/alternative-media/493-citrus-fruit-pectin-natural-h1n1-h5n1-mers-ebola-cancer-and-aids-cure

2. Does a physical body check-up includes a calcium scan to ascertain the level of plaque buildup in arteries (many are dropping dead during or after a run with few that were even "self-paced")?

3. It also seems that the dangers or "sensitivies" to vaccine solutions are overlooked. Do they really need them when there is no epidemic of tetanus lockjaw, chickenpox nor polio in women who do not serve NS?

Refer to point 1 what can work against polio without side-effects.

Of course, some people will defend the effectiveness or harmless of vaccinations and some will also ignore that the human cells can only use whatever there is in its environment to combat toxics. No one knows their own CURRENT threshold for those toxins. There is no $$$ incentive for some not to push the vaccinations even when one flu shot does not even give you immunity to seasonal flu.

4. Milk is often number reason (meat as second) why we have gradual build-up of calcium deposits in our arteries. And the calcium deposits harden with a lack of fruit and vege anti-oxidants. Refer to point 2 on lack of calcium scans.

5. Mindef seems lost when asked about MHA (maximum heart rate) which was mentioned on NS.gov.sg The site is now down, probably for an info overhaul or remake.


This is only a partial list. What have defense and health ministers potentially missed or overlooked?