By Wendy Hui
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE — A patient can be transported to the hospital in minutes, but it can take hours to trace the next of kin to get consent for procedures, say paramedics.
It is a problem that could be solved by keeping contact numbers on mobile phones under the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency), said the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which launched a programme yesterday to get people to do just that.
Mobile phone users should save their next of kin’s number in their phonebooks under headings such as ‘ICE-Husband’, for example, so paramedics or even bystanders will know who to call.
Speaking at the annual Fire Safety and Civil Emergency Preparedness Seminar yesterday, SCDF Commissioner Peter Lim Sin Pang highlighted the role that technology can play to help paramedics, firefighters and police officers.
He noted: ‘By having a uniform approach to storing emergency contacts inside a mobile phone, emergency responders can rapidly identify and contact the victim’s next of kin in the event of an emergency.’
Welcoming the programme, Dr Tan Seow Hwee, Medical Director of the A&E Department at Parkway Shenton, said ICE would come in handy when trying to trace contacts of patients who may be unable to talk because of injury, for example.
He said: ‘There have been cases of children who may be traumatised and unable to speak.
‘Checking their phones for ICE would be a good way of contacting their next of kin, especially when minors are involved, so that we can get permission to carry out medical procedures which may be vital to treatment.’
Backed by corporate sponsors City Gas, SingTel and StarHub, the SCDF will launch a month- long campaign next month to raise awareness of ICE by setting up promotional booths and distributing information cards.
Local telcos StarHub and SingTel have also pledged to place free mini information cards about ICE in their outlets.
The concept of ICE has been credited to British paramedic Bob Brotchie, who came up with the idea in 2005, and SCDF has included the idea in its collaterals since 2006.
In his speech, guest of honour Commissioner Lim also said the SCDF hoped to gradually introduce minimum standards for Certs (Company Emergency Response Teams) in commercial premises so that they are ready to cope with emergency situations.
Currently, it is compulsory only for companies who store more than 5,000 litres or 5,000kg of petroleum or flammable materials to be audited for such standards.
Citing the recent terrorist bombings in Jakarta, which targeted hotels, he said: ‘If companies have a team of people who have undergone training and are reasonably equipped to deal with these kind of situations, they would be able to aid the authorities, especially as they would know their own premises inside out.’
Commissioner Lim later declined to reveal details, saying that the guidelines were still being established.
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