Panel finds two areas of improvement for SAF heat injury management
Review finds policies are sound but mentions two areas that can be improved after soldier's death
An external review panel has found the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) could improve on its prevention against heat injuries and response to them.
It also gave feedback that the SAF's heat injury policies and measures are sound and aligned with industry and foreign military practices.
On Tuesday, Chief of Defence Force Major-General Melvyn Ong gave an update of the panel's progress, which was formed following the death of Corporal First Class Dave Lee in April.
CFC Lee, 19, who was training to be a Guardsman, died after being warded for heatstroke at Changi General Hospital for almost two weeks.
He had completed an 8km fast march at Bedok Camp on April 18 when he displayed signs of heat injury.
The panel was formed to review the SAF's policies and measures for the management of heat injuries.
The panel is chaired by Associate Professor Mark Leong, a senior consultant at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Singapore General Hospital.
Maj-Gen Ong was giving an interview at Bukit Panjang Camp ahead of SAF Day on July 1. Asked for more details on what the five-member panel found could be improved, Maj-Gen Ong declined to elaborate. But he said the panel's recommendations will be made public when they are ready in a few months.
On Tuesday, a new cooler and faster-drying hybrid uniform that helps reduce risk of heat injuries for soldiers in army combat units was unveiled to the media.
The body of the uniform is made of a green T-shirt-like fabric that is a combination of flame-resistant synthetic materials and aramid.
The long sleeves are of the pixelised fabric used in the standard No. 4 uniform.
DRIES FASTER
The new uniform is 40 per cent more permeable and dries 60 per cent faster than the standard No. 4 uniform, providing better air circulation and heat dissipation.
The uniform was rolled out in January and all army combat units will be equipped by the end of the year.
Another measure to potentially tackle heat injury is also going on trial: A wearable technology prototype that will be tested by 150 cadets from the Officer Cadet School for six months later this year.
The sensor, which might be worn as an armband, can gather information about a soldier such as his skin temperature.
Together with his pulse rate and sleep activity, the data gathered could be used to develop a real-time monitoring system to help commanders detect soldiers in distress.
Maj-Gen Ong said the review panel visited Bedok Camp, where the incident involving CFC Lee took place, to review how heat injury protocols were implemented on the ground.
The visit included a demonstration of how heatstroke cases are treated at the medical centre.
Maj-Gen Ong addressed a call by CFC Lee's mother to put a stop to outdated punishment, or "tekan", in her eulogy for her late son.
"We have been and will continue to hold our commanders accountable to the highest standards," he said. "You have our assurance on this."
Asked about a "tekan" culture in the Guards formation, the former chief guards officer said: "There has to be purpose, there has to be training directives, there has to be safety coverage, and if these are absent, and especially absent of purpose and reason, we will not tolerate this."
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