SCDF to review paramedic's court account in toddler drowning case over birth cert requests seen on bodycam
The paramedic had denied claims about the delay in sending the child to the hospital due to the need for a birth certificate, but bodycam footage showed repeated requests.
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Tuesday (May 5) it will review what what a paramedic said in court after body-worn camera footage showed repeated requests for a toddler’s birth certificate during an emergency response.
The case relates to the drowning of a one-year-eight-month-old boy at his home in June 2024. The State Coroner ruled last week that the death was a tragic accident.
His parents alleged that there was a delay in taking him to the hospital as the paramedic had wanted to see his birth certificate.
In its statement posted on Facebook, SCDF noted that media reports had highlighted differences between the paramedic's court account and the bodycam footage.
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The paramedic had denied the claims about the delay, but the bodycam footage showed otherwise.
"We will review what the paramedic had said in court," said SCDF.
SCDF added that it had conducted an internal review, including the footage from its officers' body-worn cameras, following the incident.
It found that the paramedic had asked for the birth certificate at two junctures: when the ambulance crew arrived at the location, and when they were preparing to take the toddler to the hospital.
"At both junctures, the necessary medical interventions continued to be carried out on the toddler."
SCDF also noted that the coroner had found its interventions to be appropriate and timely, and that the requests for the birth certificate would not have changed the outcome.
SCDF said it agrees with the coroner's observation that paramedics should exercise flexibility in emergency situations when patients need to be brought to hospital as quickly as possible.
It added that this was its standard operating procedure (SOP) and that all its paramedics are "trained to prioritise patient care over compliance with administrative procedures".
"This has always been emphasised and reinforced across all our units to all our officers."
Having a birth certificate or identity card can "help enhance the medical interventions and outcome" for the victim by facilitating access to the patient's medical history and continuity of care at the hospital, said SCDF.
"That said, this should not hinder or delay any conveyance or emergency medical treatment that a patient requires, and this is indeed SCDF’s longstanding SOP."
SCDF also accepted the coroner's finding that there could have been better and calmer communication with the parents.
It added that emergency personnel often operate in fast-paced conditions requiring time-critical decisions, and that in this case, medical treatment continued even as the birth certificate was requested.
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