By Ng Wan Ching

SO what happened was terrible for Miss Lee's and her family.

The hospital in question should not allow this to happen again.

At the very least, the hospital should have a system in place which would allow patients to estimate how long they have to wait for surgery and be fed accordingly.

In its reply, Changi General Hospital (CGH) admitted as much.

It has informed its staff members to keep patients updated on when their treatments will take place and to review the need to keep such patients on a fast when treatment is likely to be delayed.

And CGH has also apologised.

Instead of blustering and trying to gloss over its mistakes, the hospital spokesman admitted where it had gone wrong (no food despite long wait and no epilepsy medication given) and gave the management's sincere apology.

So, in the spirit of fair play, perhaps Miss Lee and her family can find it in their hearts to give CGH another chance.

This story was first published in The New Paper on July 17, 2008.