02 Jan 2011
The A&E was last place these patients expected to usher in New Year
THE Acute and Emergency (A&E) ward at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) was the last place that Ms Nora thought she’d be at when 2010 ticked over to 2011.
The 29-year-old housewife, who wanted to be known only as Nora, should have been out spending her New Year’s Eve at Marina Bay with her family to watch the fireworks.
Instead, she had to spend that night at the hospital after fracturing her last two fingers while doing housework.
Said Ms Nora: “I was changing my daughter’s bedsheet and I lifted the bed to adjust the bedsheet.
“The bed then dropped on me and my hand hit the edge of the bed.”
Her doctor had to cast and bandage her left hand. She has return to the hospital for a follow-up check in a week.
Nonetheless, Ms Nora remained optimistic. She said: “I choose to think it’s an accident and I don’t think I am unlucky.”
Another patient at KTPH was a 15-year-old boy who had to spend New Year’s Eve at the A&E ward after being beaten up by his brother.
Jason (we are not identifying him as he is a minor) claimed that his 22-year-old brother hit him with an umbrella, punched his head and kicked him after he was caught smoking and eating the bread that the brother bought.
He told The New Paper on Sunday that he was supposed to be heading to town with four of his secondary school friends at 8pm when the incident happened.
But he did not join them as he felt embarrassed and upset after the incident.
There were bumps on his forehead, a deep cut on his left forearm caused by the sharp edges of the umbrella and his left leg was slightly swollen.
Over at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) , a 21-year-old intern, who wanted to be known only as Mr Wong, went to its Accident & Emergency (A&E) department after breaking two of his toes while playing football.
Mr Wong said he was okay with spending New Year’s Eve in hospital as he didn’t have any plans.
45 minutes waiting time.
When The New Paper visited TTSH at 7pm, the waiting time to see a doctor was 45 minutes.
The patients who were at the waiting area looked expressionless at having to spend their New Year’s Eve at the hospital.
TTSH said it tends to see more patients at the A&E department during the festive period – some 5 to 20 per cent more when the other clinics are closed.
Said Prof Mark Leong, head and senior consultant, of the Singapore General Hospital’s department of emergency medicine, said: “The A&E receives about 380 to 400 patients daily.
“However, on Christmas Eve, the night of New Year’s Eve and the day after the holiday, the department usually has an increase of 10 to 20 per cent more patients due to alcohol intoxication, as well as injuries such as cuts and bruises from brawls following alcohol bingeing.”
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Dept of A & E
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