New Spore: National serviceman’s suicide: Lapses by army unit more widespread than thought

NSF suicide: Lapses more widespread than thought

Monday, April 14, 2014 – 07:00

Ronald Loh

The New Paper

SINGAPORE – A Coroner’s Inquiry into a full-time national serviceman’s suicide last July found that his army unit had lapses in managing his schizophrenia.

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Presenting his findings on Tuesday, State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid said that its medical centre was supposed to maintain a psychiatric register of all its soldiers.

But a year after Private Ganesh Pillay Magindren’s death, such a register is still not being maintained, he said.

Pte Ganesh, 23, was found dead at the foot of his Sengkang condominium last July and Mr Imran found that he had killed himself by jumping from height.

The coroner highlighted how such lapses in handling mentally ill NSFs may be more widespread than thought.

On Wednesday, The New Paper obtained a copy of his written judgment in which he raised several concerns.

PROTOCOL NOT FOLLOWED

According to an army directive, camps are supposed to keep a medical register of NSFs with psychiatric illnesses.

But Khatib Camp, where Pte Ganesh was posted, did not, said the coroner.

The unit’s medical officer at the time, Dr Mogilan Mohan, had claimed that his seniors and the psychiatrist in the SAF told him there was no instruction to maintain the register, Mr Imran added.

The coroner said on Tuesday that he had asked the counsel for the Ministry of Defence, Ms Asanthi, whether the directive has been adhered to since then.

Noting that Ms Asanthi had replied in the negative, he said: “There is still no compliance ‘on the ground’ despite what had happened. This was a classic case of non-compliance.”

LACK OF INFORMATION

Mr Imran was also critical of the way information about Pte Ganesh’s schizophrenia was managed.

Unit commanders who are in charge of NSFs with psychiatric problems needed to be informed by a letter from the Personnel Management Centre (PMC).

But Pte Ganesh’s unit did not receive any letter from the PMC about his condition until a day before his death in last July. He had been posted to the unit in November 2012.

An earlier letter from his private psychiatrist, Dr Paul Ngui, was given to the Medical Classification Centre at the Central Manpower Base in January last year.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New Paper, contained details about his schizophrenia, but it had not been handed over to his unit either.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Dr Mogilan was also not informed by the medical officer of Kranji Camp, Pte Ganesh’s previous posting, of his condition, the coroner said.

Dr Mogilan found out about Pte Ganesh’s condition only on Nov 29, 2012, after the latter reported sick.

But he did not pass the information to Pte Ganesh’s immediate superior, Captain Jessie Goh, Mr Imran said.

“Although (Dr Mogilan) could not confirm if Capt Goh was aware of this information, he took it on faith that she was,” he said.

As a result, Capt Goh found out about Pte Ganesh’s schizophrenia only after Pte Ganesh’s private psychiatrist informed her in an letter last April – five months after he began working under her.

Mr Imran said: “The fact that the officers within the unit were not in the habit of checking in with each other exacerbated the extent of the ignorance of (Pte Ganesh’s) psychiatric condition.”

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

Capt Goh did not try to find out how to manage a full-time national serviceman (NSF) with schizophrenia, the coroner said.

She knew only that he had been given the Physical Employment Status (PES) E9L9, the second-lowest medical classification given to servicemen.

Her computer system did not state why he had been given that PES status and she did not try to find out.

The day before Pte Ganesh’s death, Capt Goh had given him 14 charges of extra duties for not signing a logbook, reporting late for work and unsatisfactory work performance.

Mr Imran said: “(The punishment) is a daunting prospect even for most soldiers who have no psychiatric issues.

“I therefore remain unconvinced that the punishment… just a day before the fatal fall had absolutely nothing to do with why he chose to deliberately fall from a height, though it may not be the only cause.”

There is still no compliance ‘on the ground’ despite what had happened.

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid noting that Khatib Camp still did not keep a medical register of NSFs with psychiatric illnesses, months after Pte Ganesh’s death.

rloh@sph.com.sg