Medical screening for NSmen comprehensive, IPPT to stay: Ng Eng Hen
Over the past five years, two cases of sudden cardiac arrests occurred during or soon after the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).
Dr Ng Eng Hen
SINGAPORE: Over the past five years, two cases of sudden cardiac arrests occurred during or soon after the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).
This was revealed by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, in Parliament on Friday.
About 116,000 SAF personnel take the IPPT annually.
This works out to an incidence rate of 0.35 cardiac fatalities per hundred thousand persons.
Dr Ng said despite this low rate, the SAF takes any training-related injury or fatality very seriously.
All national servicemen go through comprehensive medical screenings during their entire NS period.
Dr Ng said the IPPT remains an efficient and effective tool for testing the fitness of large groups of servicemen.
"You need a test which is efficient and effective, and we've looked at other models. Each time we review it, you could change a few items, but at the end of the day, people are used to it... it's still an adequate test," said Dr Ng.
