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Friend dying, yet no one stopped to help
I AM writing about the death of my friend, Mr Rattan Singh Sandhu, on March 28. He was a kind and helpful person and had served the Singapore Armed Forces commando battalion for more than 30 years. More than 600 people attended his funeral. He was enjoying an evening walk near his home in Choa Chu Kang when he had a heart attack. Even while in pain, he managed to dial 999 on his cellphone. It was around 7.19pm. The location where he was fighting for his life was near an eatery. People just walked by and no one stopped to ask him if he was all right.
At about 7.55pm, Mr Rattan Singh dialled his son's number. Minutes later, his son arrived at the scene, but the ambulance had not. His son hailed a taxi to take his father to the nearest clinic.
On the way there, the cabby spotted the ambulance. He got the attention of the ambulance driver, and Mr Rattan Singh was taken the nearest hospital, but he did not survive. He was 53.
The circumstances surrounding his death compelled me to write this letter. I am troubled by the fact that nobody came to his aid.
We always pride ourselves on being a caring society. But when a fellow Singaporean was fighting for his life, did we stop to offer a helping hand? We are quick to donate when a calamity happens at home and abroad, but when a fellow Singaporean was in trouble, did we just look the other way?
K.T.S. Sivam
Friend dying, yet no one stopped to help
I AM writing about the death of my friend, Mr Rattan Singh Sandhu, on March 28. He was a kind and helpful person and had served the Singapore Armed Forces commando battalion for more than 30 years. More than 600 people attended his funeral. He was enjoying an evening walk near his home in Choa Chu Kang when he had a heart attack. Even while in pain, he managed to dial 999 on his cellphone. It was around 7.19pm. The location where he was fighting for his life was near an eatery. People just walked by and no one stopped to ask him if he was all right.
At about 7.55pm, Mr Rattan Singh dialled his son's number. Minutes later, his son arrived at the scene, but the ambulance had not. His son hailed a taxi to take his father to the nearest clinic.
On the way there, the cabby spotted the ambulance. He got the attention of the ambulance driver, and Mr Rattan Singh was taken the nearest hospital, but he did not survive. He was 53.
The circumstances surrounding his death compelled me to write this letter. I am troubled by the fact that nobody came to his aid.
We always pride ourselves on being a caring society. But when a fellow Singaporean was fighting for his life, did we stop to offer a helping hand? We are quick to donate when a calamity happens at home and abroad, but when a fellow Singaporean was in trouble, did we just look the other way?
K.T.S. Sivam