A recent report by Shin Min Daily News stated that on Wednesday, (22 Mar), at around 7 pm, a six-year-old boy broke his arm after tripping over a hole on the ground at a playground.
According to Ms Yang, a 34-year-old bank teller residing in Block 123B of the Sengkang River Valley Housing Estate, her domestic helper took her son to the playground while walking the family’s pet dog.
The maid was preoccupied with the dog, and only realized that the boy had fallen after hearing him cry.
She revealed that at that time her son cried and said his hand was broken, and she immediately saw that his left arm bone was dislocated.
She immediately called a taxi and took her son to the hospital for examination.
“We initially believed it was a dislocation [in his left arm], and we took him to the hospital for an X-ray,” Ms. Yang explained.
“The doctor informed us that it was a severe injury, and therefore we had to take him to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for treatment.”
When the doctor asked the boy how he broke his hand, he said he tripped over a hole on the ground.
Ms Yang shared with Shin Min the X-ray images of her son’s arm, which revealed that he had not only broken a bone but had also dislocated several other bones in his left arm.
After undergoing surgery, three steel fixtures were inserted into his arm to aid the recovery of the bones.
“The doctor said my son’s arm could be permanently crooked after this incident, but we are unsure how it will affect his daily life.”
Ms. Yang reported the incident to the town council on 23 March and was asked to provide medical receipts and reports. She is waiting for the town council’s assessment on whether her son’s medical fees will be compensated.
Ms. Yang paid S$9,900 for her son’s hospitalization and surgery fees on the day of admission, but her son only stayed for one night. She is currently waiting for the hospital to provide the revised amount.
Her son’s arm is currently in a cast, and he will have a follow-up appointment next week. The steel fixtures in his arm will be removed in two months.
Ms. Yang is concerned that the hole which caused her son’s injury was only filled three days after the incident, and she worried about the safety of other children.
Sengkang Town Council promptly covered the hole after the incident
Shin Min reported that the Sengkang Town Council expressed regret over the incident and stated that they would closely liaise with Ms. Yang.
They immediately blocked off the affected area upon receiving the notification and filled the hole with exposed screws afterwards.
The reporter even went to check on last Saturday night and confirmed that the hole had been filled and covered with traffic cones.
