TL-DR – Campaign ends 29 Jan, and all proceeds go to the affected FDWs and their families.
We wrote about the Lucky Plaza accident yesterday to explain why the victims were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) instead of Mount Elizabeth Hospital which is literally just next door.
Fatal accident at Lucky Plaza: Why were the victims sent to TTSH, and not Mount E?
A few points to recap,
- TTSH is a government hospital and also one of the major trauma centres in Singapore.
- They are better equipped to deal with the influx and severity of cases 24/7 since there is a trauma team in-house which is likely to see rostered specialists around the clock.
- Compared to private hospitals, even with an A&E department, they may be not as fully resourced and equipped, and are likely to call up the various specialists one by one.
- Mount Elizabeth Hospital has also said while it is capable of treating emergencies, it is not set up like the restructured hospitals for severe traumatic conditions, which include multiple trauma and extensive burns.
- Basically, one can attend to the victims in severe conditions in minutes, and the other, possibly in hours.
By the way, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also announced today in a joint statement that TTSH was the nearest hospital that is equipped to handle such an emergency.
Updates about the injured victims
Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, Low Yen Ling, visited the victims at TTSH yesterday to personally show their care and support, and to thank them for their hard work and contributions to Singapore.
In a Facebook post, Ms Low gave an update of the four Filipino domestic helpers who were injured and warded,
Ms Low shared the happy news that two of the four victims, Ms Laila F Laudencia and Demet L Limbauan, have already been discharged.
The other two, Ms Arceli P Nucos and Ms Egnal L Limbauan, “remain warded under the treatment and close eyes of doctors and nurses.”
Ms Low assured all that “MOM is working closely with CDE to assist the families of all the victims” and “will provide full support to ensure the survivors receive the best care possible for a smooth recovery.”
Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) started a fundraising drive for the victims
Many Singaporeans have domestic helpers at home and many of these helpers, too, hang out frequently in the Orchard Road area. In a way, this accident feels close to the bone for many of us and I know many are concerned for the victims from the accident and their families.
The for Domestic Employees (CDE) has launched a fundraising drive for those affected and their families.
Here’s CDE’s post regarding the donation drive in case you cannot see the Facebook post,
We have received an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy towards the six victims of the Lucky Plaza accident, who are all foreign domestic workers (FDWs). CDE is currently working on getting the necessary contacts of all parties, including employers, insurers and next-of-kin. As per all insurance claims, the pay-out will be dependent on the outcomes of the investigations.
Regardless, CDE stands ready to provide the necessary support to the families of the deceased, as well as those who were injured. We will be working towards getting a full sense of their immediate and urgent needs in the coming months.
Concurrently, we are also working towards extending a token to the bereaved families and the injured FDWs during this period and CDE is prepared to supplement this through the Domestic Employees Welfare Fund (DEWF).
Should you wish to support them, you may now do so at giving.sg.
The campaign will end on 29 January 2020, and all proceeds will go directly towards the injured FDWs and beneficiaries of the deceased FDWs.
Over $100,000 raised since yesterday evening
As far as I know, the donation link was up just before 8PM last night.
It has already crossed $100,000 as of now.
Go donate if you haven’t already done so, or you can help to spread the word by sharing this link.
[nbox type=”warning”]What are the people behind Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE)?
The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) was set up in Jan 2016 by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
CDE aims to assist all domestic employees in Singapore, both local and foreign. CDE is an integral part and a continuum of the Labour Movement’s all-inclusive approach to help working people of all collars, ages and nationalities.
CDE aims to assist all domestic employees in Singapore, both local and foreign. CDE is an integral part and a continuum of the Labour Movement’s all-inclusive approach to help working people of all collars, ages and nationalities.
To reach out to the majority of domestic employees working in Singapore, CDE has a 24-hour helpline (1800 CALL CDE = 1800 2255 233), and three satellite offices located in City Plaza, Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza.
Source: CDE’s Facebook page
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(Featured image via)