No Student will be Left Unattended to in Real Civil Emergencies

28 Mar 06

Mdm Goh Soo Hoon "Terror drills sets a poser for frail boy" (17 Mar 2006) queried about the measures to be taken to help people with medical problems during civil emergencies. She cited the case of her son who developed breathing difficulties during an In-Place-Protection exercise conducted at school.
We assure Mdm Goh that in real civil emergencies, no student will be left unattended to.
Our schools routinely engage in exercises and drills to prepare staff and students for school-based civil emergency situations. In the conduct of such exercises, students' safety is a prime consideration. Schools pay particular attention to students with medical needs and follow procedures to ensure that immediate medical attention is accorded to students who inadvertently fall ill during an exercise.
In the case of Mdm Goh's son, first aid was immediately rendered when he experienced breathing difficulties, and an ambulance was immediately called to bring him to the hospital for medical consultation. The school also notified his parents immediately.
We thank Mdm Goh for her feedback and will continue to refine the operational processes, including measures to cater to students with medical needs, for emergency exercises.

Chua Kwan Ping
Director, Finance and Development
Ministry of Education