Response to TODAY's Article on "NS Cadet's Death: MINDEF Disputes Findings of Coroner's Inquiry"

MINDEF: No Dispute Over Findings of Coroner's Inquiry

TODAY's reporting on MINDEF's statement to the Coroner's inquiry was misleading and inaccurate. There was no dispute on the Coroner's findings. The Coroner had stated in his report that he had been informed "that echocardiography may be able to detect some types of cardiomyopathy". To clarify this point, MINDEF consulted the Chairman of the SAF Cardiology Specialist Advisory Board and Deputy Medical Director of the National Heart Centre Singapore, Associate Professor Terrance Chua, on this specific case.

His assessment was that the type of cardiomyopathy that resulted in 3SG Ee Chun Sheng's death could not have been detected by echocardiography. This was because the autopsy findings showed that the deceased's heart was not enlarged and had no gross cardiac findings.

Colonel Kenneth Liow
Director Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

MINDEF’s reply was published as "Test would not have shown up cadet’s condition: MINDEF", TODAY, 11 Mar 2013