Coroner's inquiry into death of NSF starts

[General Veers]

Coroner's inquiry into death of NSF starts

POSTED: 22 Apr 2013 6:11 PM
UPDATED: 22 Apr 2013 9:01 PM

The coroner's inquiry into the death of SAF Private Dominique Sarron Lee started on Monday with his family present in court.

Private Dominique Sarron Lee

SINGAPORE: The coroner's inquiry into the death of SAF Private Dominique Sarron Lee started on Monday with his family present in court.

The 21-year-old serviceman died last April during an urban obstacle training exercise involving hand grenades.

The defence ministry's own committee of inquiry had found clear breaches of training safety regulations.

A platoon commander threw six smoke grenades even though regulations specified no more than two grenades were allowed.

On Monday, the state coroner heard that the number of smoke grenades thrown is debatable.

The court heard that the purpose of the grenade was to create a smoke screen to simulate attack under foggy conditions.

Captain Chia Thye Siong, who was then the Chief Safety Officer, said from a tactical view point, the more smoke there is, the better it would be to mask a troop's movement.

The court heard that if a platoon commander decides that the throwing of two smoke grenades does not create that effect, he could throw more.

Captain Chia told the court that the Training Safety Regulations did not prohibit the throwing of more than two smoke grenades.

Captain Najib, who was the Platoon Commander for the exercise, said he threw the extra grenades because there was no wind that day to create the required smoke screen effect.

He also told the court that the troop which Private Lee was in had been handed extra grenades.

The usual number issued to a platoon commander was three but six in total were issued.

This was because another troop had not taken part in the exercise and the commander decided to take their grenades.

Captain Chia also told the court that soldiers with medical conditions wore wrist tags.

This was to allow officers in charge to identify and pay more attention to these soldiers.

Private Lee was asthmatic and had worn a blue tag to indicate his medical history.

But Captain Chia told the court that the Commanding Officers were not trained to identify or predict possible factors that would trigger an asthma attack.

Captain Chia said Private Lee was the first soldier to pop his head out of the window of a smoking room.

Captain Chia then activated a safety vehicle after Private Lee climbed out of the window.

He told the court Private Lee was coughing and took short, shallow breaths and complained of chest pains.

He added that apart from CPR, which he administered on Private Lee, there was nothing else he could have done.

The inquiry continues.

- CNA/ck

 

[General Veers]

Coroner's inquiry into NSF's death: Combat medic did not have enough training

Published on Apr 22, 2013

By Jermyn Chow

On the first day of a coroner's inquiry into the death of Private Dominique Sarron Lee, 21, the combat medic who attended to him told the court that he did not have enough medical training nor adequate medical equipment to deal with asthma attacks.

Last April, Private Lee died after having breathing difficulties and passed out during a training exercise in Lim Chu Kang that involved the use of smoke grenades.

The former track athlete from the Singapore Sports School had a history of asthma and had been declared fit enough to undergo combat training.

A panel of senior respiratory medicine specialists, who investigated Private Lee's death, found that he died from an "acute allergic reaction" after inhaling zinc chloride fumes that were emitted from the smoke grenades.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[KangTao]

Updated: 08/30/2013 22:57 | By Channel NewsAsia

NSF died from allergic reaction to zinc chloride fumes, says coroner

SINGAPORE: A coroner's inquiry has determined that full-time national serviceman Dominique Sarron Lee died from an acute allergic reaction to inhaling zinc chloride fumes.

He had inhaled fumes from six smoke grenades that were used during a military training exercise last April. The 21-year-old passed out during the exercise and died in hospital later.

The inquiry also found that Private Lee, who had a history of asthma, did not die from an asthma attack.

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid, however, noted that he had underplayed his condition during a pre-enlistment medical checkup.

Private Lee had indicated that the last asthma attack he suffered was three years ago, when in fact he had suffered one three months before the checkup and had seen a GP about it.

Private Lee's family contend that his medical records should have been reviewed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and additional tests should have been conducted.

But the coroner said patients must bring up relevant information for medical screenings to be effective, pointing out that it is "hard to accept" that doctors have to conduct further screenings for every enlistee.

The coroner also said the platoon commander who threw the smoke grenades could not have predicted Private Lee's allergic reaction, although there was more smoke than necessary during the exercise.

Platoon Commander Captain Najib Hanik Muhammad Jalal had given evidence that he threw more smoke grenades than the two he was supposed to because there was no wind to create the smoke screen needed to mask the movement of the troops.

The coroner also noted that other recruits who suffered from asthma did not report any adverse outcome from the exercise.

He accepted as well that Private Lee was taken to an SAF medical centre closest to the incident location instead of a hospital as restoring cardiac function was a priority.

Private Lee's family had questioned why he was not taken immediately to the National University Hospital.

The inquiry noted that the Sungei Gedong Medical Centre was 10 minutes from the incident location, whereas the hospital was 23 kilometres from it.

Private Lee’s family, who were in court on Friday, said it is difficult for them to accept the coroner's findings as they feel it is based on a one-sided testimony and they are considering further legal action.

Private Lee's mother, Madam Felicia Seah, appeared distraught after the findings were delivered.

Sean Seah, Private Lee’s uncle, said: "We definitely want to pursue further; we want SAF to answer our concerns. And because we have many unanswered question, what we want SAF to show us is that they are really putting in measures to ensure that the safety of all NSmen in future is taken care of." - CNA/gn

 

[Hamburger]

Family of NSF who died will get legal bill slashed

Pte Lee had an allergic reaction to fumes from smoke grenades.

Published 28 min ago

Mindef, one officer involved in drill that led to soldier's death to waive $16k in legal costs

Jermyn Chow
Defence Correspondent

The family of the late Dominique Sarron Lee, who failed in a bid to sue the military over his death in 2012, will see their $22,000 legal bill slashed.

Relatives of the 21-year-old full-time national serviceman attempted to sue the Singapore Armed Forces and two officers in relation to alleged lapses in a 2012 training exercise in which he died after suffering an allergic reaction to fumes from smoke grenades.

The High Court threw out the lawsuit last Thursday, ordering Private Lee's family to pay the legal costs for the three defendants.

But the Defence Ministry and one of the officers, Captain Najib Hanuk Bin Muhamad Jalal, said last night they would waive legal costs amounting to $16,000.

Pte Lee's family may still have to cough up the remaining $6,000 if the other officer, Major Chia Thye Siong, decides to enforce the cost.

The case sparked a public outcry on social media, with many calling for legal costs to be waived and stiffer penalties for the defendants, found guilty in 2013 of negligence in their duties during the exercise.

Mindef confirmed it would waive the $10,000 bill owed, a day after Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen urged his ministry to do so in a Facebook post on Monday.

Dr Ng said though the judgment in awarding Mindef costs is based on sound legal grounds and precedents, there was no need to "add to the pain and anguish of the family of the late Pte Lee".

Responding to media queries, Mindef said it provided a one-off welfare grant, usually given to families of servicemen who die or become totally disabled, amounting to $20,000 to Pte Lee's mother in 2012. In addition, Mindef has offered compensation awards to Madam Felicia Seah based on the "full extent of the compensation network". This is generally two to four times the amount provided under the Work Injury Compensation Act, said a Mindef spokesman. "We understand that no amount of compensation will be sufficient."

Mr R. S. Bajwa, the lawyer acting for Capt Najib, the platoon commander who threw the smoke grenades, said his client agreed to waive the cost because "he feels the loss of Pte Lee's family".

It is not clear if Maj Chia, then the exercise chief safety officer, will also waive the remaining $6,000 in legal fees. His lawyer, Mr Laurence Goh Eng Yau, could not be reached.

A Committee of Inquiry and Coroner's Inquiry found that Capt Najib threw six smoke grenades instead of two, flouting the SAF's training safety regulations.

On Monday, the Singapore Army sought to clarify issues regarding Pte Lee's death and said both Maj Chia and Capt Najib were convicted of negligence in a summary trial in 2013. No criminal charges were brought against the men because Pte Lee's allergic reaction was "not reasonably foreseeable". It was the first such death since the SAF started using smoke grenades in the 1970s.

Mindef said last night both servicemen were redeployed to appointments that did not supervise soldiers in training or operations.

Pte Lee's uncle, Mr Sean Seah, said the family has not been approached on the cost waiver and are still considering whether to appeal against Judicial Commissioner Kannan Ramesh's decision.

They also clarified in a Facebook post yesterday that they have not accepted any compensation offer from Mindef or the SAF, and rejected offers from the military to discuss monetary compensation.

"We would like to clarify that this law suit has never been about money. It has always been about getting answers to our questions," the family added.

 

[winnipegjets]

A platoon commander threw six smoke grenades even though regulations specified no more than two grenades were allowed..... Captain Chia told the court that the Training Safety Regulations did not prohibit the throwing of more than two smoke grenades.

If the regulations stipulate two, then it should be two for safety reason.

On Monday, the state coroner heard that the number of smoke grenades thrown is debatable.
The court heard that the purpose of the grenade was to create a smoke screen to simulate attack under foggy conditions.
Captain Chia Thye Siong, who was then the Chief Safety Officer, said from a tactical view point, the more smoke there is, the better it would be to mask a troop's movement.
The court heard that if a platoon commander decides that the throwing of two smoke grenades does not create that effect, he could throw more.

He is saying that safety of soldiers is secondary to training. That's the attitude of MINDEF; our soldiers die never mind.

Captain Najib, who was the Platoon Commander for the exercise, said he threw the extra grenades because there was no wind that day to create the required smoke screen effect. He also told the court that the troop which Private Lee was in had been handed extra grenades. The usual number issued to a platoon commander was three but six in total were issued. This was because another troop had not taken part in the exercise and the commander decided to take their grenades.

The PC did not consider the safety of soldiers in his training. And he got the extra grenades because someone didn't want to check back the extra grenades.

 

[winnipegjets]

Captain Chia said Private Lee was the first soldier to pop his head out of the window of a smoking room.
Captain Chia then activated a safety vehicle after Private Lee climbed out of the window.
He told the court Private Lee was coughing and took short, shallow breaths and complained of chest pains.
He added that apart from CPR, which he administered on Private Lee, there was nothing else he could have done.

How can soldiers serve under such commander who has NO commitment to the welfare of the troops?

 

[winnipegjets]

the combat medic who attended to him told the court that he did not have enough medical training nor adequate medical equipment to deal with asthma attacks.

Another point of negligence.
Inadequate equipment and why did they have a medic who doesn't know how to handle asthma attacks on standby there then?

 

[winnipegjets]

A coroner's inquiry has determined that full-time national serviceman Dominique Sarron Lee died from an acute allergic reaction to inhaling zinc chloride fumes.
He had inhaled fumes from six smoke grenades that were used during a military training exercise last April. The 21-year-old passed out during the exercise and died in hospital later.
The inquiry also found that Private Lee, who had a history of asthma, did not die from an asthma attack.

Soldier inhaled fumes from 6 grenades. No one who has asthma should have been exposed to so much fumes. It is just common sense.

 

[winnipegjets]

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid, however, noted that he had underplayed his condition during a pre-enlistment medical checkup.
Private Lee had indicated that the last asthma attack he suffered was three years ago, when in fact he had suffered one three months before the checkup and had seen a GP about it.

Such a flimsy accusation ...could the soldier have forgotten about that incident? It is obvious that the Coroner is out to protect the butts of MINDEF.

 

[winnipegjets]

Private Lee's family contend that his medical records should have been reviewed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and additional tests should have been conducted.

But the coroner said patients must bring up relevant information for medical screenings to be effective, pointing out that it is "hard to accept" that doctors have to conduct further screenings for every enlistee.

Another obvious covering of MINDEF's butt. To suggests that MINDEF cannot conducy further screening shows the neglect. MINDEF does not need to do further screen on every enlistees, only to those who have medication conditions.

 

[winnipegjets]

The coroner also said the platoon commander who threw the smoke grenades could not have predicted Private Lee's allergic reaction, although there was more smoke than necessary during the exercise. Platoon Commander Captain Najib Hanik Muhammad Jalal had given evidence that he threw more smoke grenades than the two he was supposed to because there was no wind to create the smoke screen needed to mask the movement of the troops.

But the PC knew that one of his soldiers has asthma and he didn't take that into consideration when he exceeded the safe level of usage.

So, the coroner found that there was more smoke than necessary, contradicting the safety officer.

 

[winnipegjets]

The coroner also noted that other recruits who suffered from asthma did not report any adverse outcome from the exercise.

The officers were taking a chance on the lives of the soldiers. And that is wrong.

 

[winnipegjets]

The inquiry noted that the Sungei Gedong Medical Centre was 10 minutes from the incident location, whereas the hospital was 23 kilometres from it.

First world army doesn't have air ambulance?

 

[winnipegjets]

A Committee of Inquiry and Coroner's Inquiry found that Capt Najib threw six smoke grenades instead of two, flouting the SAF's training safety regulations.

On Monday, the Singapore Army sought to clarify issues regarding Pte Lee's death and said both Maj Chia and Capt Najib were convicted of negligence in a summary trial in 2013. No criminal charges were brought against the men because Pte Lee's allergic reaction was "not reasonably foreseeable". It was the first such death since the SAF started using smoke grenades in the 1970s.

Safety regulation was violated and that led to a death. Because the officers didn't think violating safety regulation would cause death, they are not charged.

What baloney is that? So, why have safety regulation in the first place?