Mount Elizabeth Explains Why Lucky Plaza Victims Were Not Sent to Them Instead

On 29 December around 5pm, six Filipino domestic workers were involved in a horrific crash at Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road.

Seven Filipinas were having a picnic outside the mall when a black Honda Vezel crashed into them and landed on the exit lane of Lucky Plaza.

The accident left two women dead and four others injured.

The 64-year-old Grab driver, who was not on any job at the time, was arrested for dangerous driving causing death.

Injuries

One witness said that one of the women had a gaping wound on her head which was bleeding profusely.

There were six casualties in total. Four women, aged 37 to 56, were conveyed conscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The other two women, aged 41 and 50, were unconscious when conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), where they later succumbed to their injuries.

Not sent to the nearest hospital

Many found it odd, however, that the six injured women were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital instead of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, which was located across from the accident scene.

There’s an implication here; unlike Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a private hospital that charges higher fees.

Some feel that the six victims should have been brought to the nearest hospital, whether it is a government hospital or otherwise.

Mount Elizabeth’s response

In response to the criticism, Mount Elizabeth explained the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s decision to send the victims to TTSH in a Facebook post. 

In the post, Dr Noel Yeo, CEO of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said that the hospital and its ambulance services are not part of the SCDF’s list of medical providers.

“This means that the hospital will not be activated by the SCDF even if such an incident is within close proximity,” he wrote.

He added that while the hospital is capable of treating emergencies, it is not set up to treat severe traumatic conditions which include multiple trauma and extensive burns.

He clarified that the hospital’s 24-hour A&E department is open to all patients, regardless of who they are, and that their A&E team would have responded immediately, had they been activated or informed of the accident.

Trauma centres different from A&E department

According to Unity Point, trauma centres are different from the average A&E department in that they are equipped to handle “extreme cases where there is an issue of immediate survival”.

This includes include traumatic car crash injuries, gunshot wounds, and major burns.

TTSH has a dedicated trauma centre and attends to the largest number of trauma patients in Singapore, reported Mothership. 

So, there’s nothing strange going on here. The SCDF simply did what was best for the six casualties.