Although Mount Elizabeth hospital was very near the scene of the tragic Lucky Plaza accident that occurred on Dec. 29, it is not equipped to provide timely management for patients with severe trauma.

This according to a new joint statement released by both the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Dec. 31), in the wake of questions regarding SCDF’s decision to send the injured and severely injured victims to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), rather than Mount Elizabeth Hospital, which happened to be right behind the scene of the crash.

On Monday evening, the private hospital earlier explained that while it is capable of treating emergencies, it is not set up to treat severe traumatic conditions.

TTSH was the nearest hospital equipped for treating severe trauma

The statement from the two authorities went on to say that in this instance, it was TTSH that was the nearest hospital equipped to deal with Sunday's emergency, and the first SCDF ambulance alerted TTSH to be on standby to receive the patients.

It also said SCDF emergency ambulances will convey patients with severe trauma to the nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department that is equipped with the necessary resources and staff to handle such cases.

In addition, the ambulances themselves are manned by trained paramedics and crew who are able to perform resuscitation on patients, and also carry the necessary medical equipment.

You can read the full statement from MOH and SCDF here:

"1. At about 5pm on Sunday, 29 December 2019, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to an incident at 304 Orchard Road. SCDF conveyed six casualties to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in five ambulances. TTSH was alerted by the first SCDF ambulance to be on standby to receive the patients.

2. SCDF emergency ambulances will convey patients with severe trauma to the nearest accident and emergency department that is equipped with the necessary resources, equipment and specialist medical support to deal with such complexities of care. In this case, TTSH is the nearest hospital that is equipped to handle such an emergency. Although Mount Elizabeth Hospital is located near the incident, it is not equipped to provide timely management for severe trauma patients.

3. In addition, as part of pre-hospital medical care management, all SCDF emergency ambulances are equipped with the necessary medical equipment and manned by well-trained paramedics and crew that are capable of performing resuscitation on patients."

Trauma centres are different from A&E departments

According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), trauma centres are different from an average A&E department, as they are specially equipped to treat the most high-risk of injuries.

While trauma centres are typically located within hospitals, and often in the emergency department, not all emergency departments would be able to provide care for trauma patients.

For example, a patient suffering from broken bones or less severe injuries should head to an emergency room, while a patient who is suffering from gunshot wounds or traumatic car crash injuries should be treated by a trauma center.

More on why the patients were sent to TTSH instead of Mount E:

Left photo by Jane Zhang, right screenshot from Google streetview