News blackout on KKH drug blunder
November 20th, 2009 | 
Author: 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
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11 Responses to “News blackout on KKH drug blunder”
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I wonder why the 2 victims did not raise this matter with the Singapore Medical Board, which is ultimately an independent party to review the conduct of the respective doctors/ medical specialist.
well, maybe its because the subject here is a singaporean?
TR, wonder if you are following up on the Stanfield-CASE court proceeding. Saw on the news that Stanfield had claimed that even a Government organisation like Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) had let in foreign students whose school fees were not insured, let alone expect an private education institution (Stanfield) to enforce the same checks.
ST is not worth 90 cents
What about updates on the H1N1 outbreak in our pig farms suppliers in Indonesia?
Gosh, what have we been eating?
People working in main stream media are usually brain dead until their master summon them to haunt the citizens in the coming election.
give the pharmacists a break. we still haven’t heard their story. and it seems that administering that drug over 3 to 5 mins is actually ok. attacking them all the time isn’t going to help solve problems. mistakes do occur especially if one is overworked or hasn’t slept enough.
i don’t work in kk but another restructured hosp. neither am i a pharmacist.
this month, i have come to work every day. the first week of alone, i clocked over 100 hours at work. i have no bond and can leave to work elsewhere for many times higher pay like most of my friends did. but look at it this way. if i leave, the remaining people(vast majority are bonded) do even more work. and more mistakes will happen. the hospitals have many protocols to be followed which are supposed to prevent mistakes but when the workload is excessive or when the person is tired, its just not possible.
i don’t know if the pharmacists were overloaded, but it is a very possible scenario from what i have observed. what to do? many leave. but when we leave, it just makes things worse for the remainder.
Re: “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 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.”
Please don’t treat this any final authority on the subject, but I am writing this to stimulate further questioning and accountability on this matter.
From my own knowledge of this medical technology – drugs being administered via pumps, and I am assuming, intravenously – the TIMING for the administration of the drugs as well as the dosage is PROGRAMMED seperately for each and every patient, and this programming is done by the PHARMACIST.
From the description of the exact natue of the mishap, it does sound like a programming error for which the pharmacists are responsible.
To blame this mishap on the DESIGN of the pump is disingenous to say the least, because the question will inevitably to turn to: Why then has the MOH been using pumps with a faulty design?
Re: “This is called “investigative journalism” which is sorely lacking in the Singapore media.”
True, when it comes to journalists, it is quite correct to blame this on the lack of investigative journalism. I have previously written elsewhere, and on many occasions, that the PAP’s war against human rights – the right to free speech/expression as well as the adjunct right to the free flow of (correct) information – is geared towards one goal, namely, that ALL segments of Singapore COOPERATE with the PAP government to cover up its incompetence and wrongdoings.
This incident is a concrete example of what I meant by that statement. For those who continue to pooh-pooh the human rights movement as well as the advocates for human rights in Singapore, this is a clear example of the lack of human rights can and WILL come back to haunt them in matters that are actually close to their hearts.
there’s a news website in namibia: informante
their motto is “you conceal, we reveal”
they just uncover a case of namibia ministers’ children awarded scholarships to china’ universities.
maybe TR should think of a catchy motto too to polish its investigative journalism image.
“I wonder why the 2 victims did not raise this matter with the Singapore Medical Board,zzzZ”
Correct jurisdiction ?
If yes, do the victims really need to do so before SMB can act as the matter is already public.
This is a serious matter and the rightful authority should be proactively taking up the matter without even being asked to.
“and it seems that administering that drug over 3 to 5 mins is actually ok.”
So, it is not the pump after all ?
“if i leave, the remaining people(vast majority are bonded) do even more work.”
I suggest you leave. Probably, health care is not suitable for you given the flawed logic that you are holding – in an industry where the line between life and death is very thin when serious irreparable damage may have been made when serious mistake happens.
Ask yourself, why is there more work ? Under staffed ? Cost cutting ? or any other reason which you may be able to come out ?