We all know that medical emergencies are usually a matter of life and death.
Sometimes, every second counts in terms of sending the victim to a suitable medical facility to receive treatment from professionals.
Of course, when something goes awry and a person passes away, inquiries into how the death could have been prevented are conducted to avoid similar situations from occurring in the future.
After the young Singapore Sports School student, Pranav Madhaik passed away following a track-and-field fitness test, investigations showed that he was not taken to a hospital closest to the school.
Questions were raised about the feasibility of this move.
Now, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has responded, defending its decision as the right one.
Here is more about what they said.
Student Was Not Sent to the Nearest Hospital After Encountering Health Issues
Ever since the news of Singapore Sports School’s Panav Madhaik’s death, many people have been fixated on the issue of how a student could have passed away after taking a fitness test in school.
One of the queries that have come up in the aftermath of Madhaik’s passing is the treatment he received before his death.
After a fitness test, He felt unwell on 5 October 2023 and passed away several days later.
When the ambulance arrived to bring Madhaik to seek treatment, he was sent to the National University Hospital (NUH), located in Clementi, instead of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, located in Yishun.
The latter newer hospital was closer to the school (located in Woodlands) than NUH.
It seems like this decision was a deliberate one, as the SCDF responded with reasons for this choice.
According to the SCDF, the decision to send Madhaik was compliant with medical protocol, reported Channel News Asia.
The student’s vital signs, including his “heart rate and blood oxygen level”, were deemed “stable” when he was carried into the ambulance.
He was provided with oxygen and guided to regulate his breathing as his “blood pressure was low”, and he felt “breathless”.
His legs were also lifted by the emergency crew to improve blood circulation.
These actions helped to stabilise the student’s blood pressure and he was sent to NUH, which was “equipped with paediatric emergency medical facilities”.
SCDF said that this was in line with “the Ministry of Health’s and SCDF’s medical protocol for stable patients under 16 years old”.
NUH was also alerted to be on standby as the student turned drowsy en route to the hospital.