Dr Ng: All NSFs are screened, assessed

SINGAPORE - PARLIAMENT

Men have been exempted from performing national service (NS) because of mental health issues.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said pre-enlistees go through a regime adopted by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) which screens for psychiatric, behavioural and adjustment problems.

"In the last three years, about 500 were exempted from NS (annually)...due to mental health problems," he added.

Those who are enlisted with mental health disorders are then monitored to ensure that they do not pose any risk to themselves and those around them.

"Should they require closer observation, these national servicemen are seen regularly by psychiatrists at the Psychological Care Centre," he said.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Dr Ng outlined the ministry's approach to NSFs with mental health conditions.

He was responding to Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef's questions which followed the coroner's findings into the death of Private Ganesh Pillay Magindren.

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Pte Ganesh, who took his own life last July, was seeing a psychiatrist regularly for schizophrenia.

Dr Ng spelt out what is already being done:

He said NSFs can be re-deployed or excused from their duties if assessed to be unfit.

There are also basic counselling and mental health awareness programmes in place to help to-be commanders better identify fellow soldiers with mental health issues.

These soldiers can be referred to the Psychological Care Centre.

A 24-hour SAF counselling hotline is available for soldiers who need help.

This combined approach ensures that NSFs who are mentally ill are not stigmatised, Dr Ng pointed out.

"They are treated similarly with national servicemen who have other physical health disorders, where risks are also managed accordingly based on the guidelines, again, developed by Specialist Medical Boards," he said.

He added that the Ministry of Defence and SAF will continue to "periodically review and strengthen the mental health

This article was first published on May 30, 2014.
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