TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim described the flooding of parts of Bukit Timah on Thursday as a "freak" event that occurs once in 50 years. "What happened was very unusual. 'The intensity was tremendous. We knew the diversion canal was not big enough to take this," he added. Mr Yaacob was referring to the diversion canal from the main Bukit Timan canal which was built in 1972. Following the flooding which damaged the buildings, amenities and cars in the area, PUB has called for tenders to widen the canals in Bukit Timah. Dr Yaacob did not explain why the canals were not widened earlier to prepare for this "freak" event". He claimed that it is "not possible" to plan for every event. "I hope the public will have more patience with us because it will take us some time to enlarge those drains. But having said that, it is not possible for us to plan for every event," he said. It does appear that Dr Yaacob as well as the National Enviroment Agency are both caught out cold by the "sudden" storm. A netizen posted on STOMP a snapshot of the NEA's online weather map which did not reflect the heavy rain during the time when there was flooding at Dunearn Road. She said: "This (the above) was shown on the NEA website at 3.32pm. It showed that only a minor part of northern Singapore was raining. However, a check outside my office window showed heavy rain and flooding along Dunearn Road." EDITORS' NOTE: Please sign up as a friend of our Facebook here  Read More →

Defense News, 19 November 2009 Singapore Technologies will not be allowed to participate in an Indian tender for 155mm ultra-light artillery guns because it was named in an alleged corruption scandal in June this year by India’s fraud investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The move is the outcome of the latest circular from the Indian Defence Ministry, which does not allow tainted defense companies to participate in the procurement process pending a full CBI report, ministry sources said. “Where the tender process has not started, there should be no dealing with the companies in the First Information Report until finalization of the investigation,” a ministry source added. With South African company Denel still blacklisted in India following a 2005 bribery case, Singapore Technologies was the front runner in the $1 billion tender to provide 155mm light howitzers for the Army’s use in mountainous terrain. The government has frozen the howitzer tender for now because only one bidder, BAE Systems, remains, and single-vendor defense procurements are not permitted. In June 2009, seven companies were added to the list of those banned from Defence Ministry procurement bids: Singapore Technologies, Israel Military Industries, Poland’s BVT, Singapore’s Media Architects, and domestic companies HYT Engg, T.S. Kishan and R.K. Machine Tools. All seven figured in corruption charges filed against the former director-general of India’s Ordnance Factory Board, Sudipta Ghosh. The Defence Ministry had blacklisted these seven companies following advice from the CBI, but the latest circular officially ends Singapore Technologies’ part in the ultra-light howitzer tender. - Defense News Source: India Defense Research Wing  Read More →

Written by our Correspondent After almost a week, there are still no updates on the progress of the two victims of the KKH drug blunder. Following the stunning revelation that two patients - Mrs Ng and Mrs Poh were given an overdose of chemotherapy drugs over hours instead of days, the state media has imposed a news blackout on subsequent developments in the incident. Mr Ng Chun Kiat had criticized the way KKH has handled the situation and questioned the "professionalism" of its staff on his blog which was not reported by the media. Neither do we know the progress of the two patients. KKH has refrained from commenting on the matter so far. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan laid the blame for the error squarely on the design of the pump, but failed to provide the public with any photos of the two pumps. The entire issue is now swept under the carpet as if nothing has happened in the first place in the hope that it will soon fade away from the public consciousness. In the meantime, Mr Ng wrote that his mother is now experiencing "discoloration of the tongue and finger nails". His mother's predicament has won widespread sympathy from netizens who castigated KKH for its "cavalier" attitude. Mr Ng is still angry at the two pharmacists responsible for the error for not apologizing to his mother personally while they had already apologized to the other victim, Mrs Poh. In his latest blog entry on 19 November 2009, Mr Ng wrote" "While chatting with my mum after work yesterday, she too felt a sense of injustice and inequality when both herself and Mrs Yip both were victims of the same blunder, yet for some reason(s), she never got an apology from the 2 pharmacist. It's not a matter of whether the apology meant anything at this point in time when the drug already would have affected the victims. But knowing that they did apologize to Mrs Yip and not to her, made everyone of us feel sick in the stomach." Medication errors are not uncommon in Singapore's public hospitals except that they seldom make the headlines. The medication error at KKH would not have surfaced if not a relative of Mrs Ng tipped off a Straits Times journalist who then approach KKH for permission to interview the patients. The state media could have followed up on the case by interviewing the patients and the families if they agree to do so, as well as doctors, pharmacists and nurses of KKH. The journalists should have taken a photo of the pumps and interview the manufacturer and other users if similar mistakes have occurred in the past. This is called "investigative journalism" which is sorely lacking in the Singapore media. Due to the political sensitivity of the case which may erode public confidence in Singapore's public hospitals, the media may be given instructions to "close" the case quietly. In a modern, healthy and functioning electoral democracy, the media is supposed to serve as a watchdog to check on the government and not as its lapdog. The Singapore government's intolerance of independent and critical journalism is highlighted by its refusal to renew freelance journalist Benjamin Bland's visa. Bland had written a few critical commentaries of Singapore in the Economist and The Asia Sentinel. Without an independent and free press, Singaporeans will never know whether its government is really as good and great as it claims.   Related articles: >> KKH chemo blunder: Son of victim described pharmacists responsible for error as “idiots” >> Interview with Mr Ng Chun Kiat >> Son of KKH victim of medication error disputes reports in state media >> KKH medication error: Khaw dismissed worker fatigue as cause >> Was medication error at KKH caused by fatigue? >> KKH CEO Prof Ivy Ng yet to apologize for drug blunder  Read More →