WEDNESDAY'S report of a soldier's death ('NSF, 20, dies after routine workout') saddened me. This is the third NSman to die in service within a period of four months.

I am very concerned. What my son has experienced during the first three months of his NS period made me reflect and wonder whether the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) needs to review its current operational processes. Here are a few of my worries:

Assessment system for unit posting: Of the three earlier deaths, two were during their posting after basic military training. Does the SAF have a robust system to assess the physical condition of its NSmen correctly and make an objective assessment of their capabilities before posting them to their respective vocation, to ensure a close match of their physical and psychological abilities with their assigned vocation?

Behavioural assessment skills: Is training required? When an NSman is sick, are his commanders equipped with the ability to ascertain that he is genuinely sick, instead of stereotyping his condition as a bid to skive?

If the commanders do not have such skills, does the SAF have a system to help them so they do not brush off those who are genuinely sick and be too quick to label them as malingerers.

Standard operating procedure (SOP) for reporting sick: Why is there a need for an NSman who has been given medical leave by a public hospital to book into camp and wait for the next working day to see the SAF medical officer for endorsement of the medical certificate?

What is the value add of this need to have the medical officer endorse the medical certificate? Are we saying the medical officer is in a better position to assess the NSman's illness than a registered doctor in a public hospital?

Judy Tan (Madam)

This letter was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 3, 2008.

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