Originally posted by LoVeMeLoVeMenOt:
SINGAPORE: A common anti-malaria pill given to about 30,000 servicemen every year since 1985 has been taken off the inventory following the death of a full-time national serviceman who developed complications after taking the drug.
Mr Muhammad Sufian Jamil, 18, was undergoing Basic Military Training at Pulau Tekong when a rare drug-induced disease � Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome � struck him down. He died of liver and organ failure on February 1 last year.
After his enlistment on December 3, 2005, Mr Muhammad Sufian was administered the anti-malaria drug, Maloprim, on seven separate occasions. He started to develop a cough, fever, rash and headache and sought treatment at the Pulau Tekong Medical Centre on six occasions.
On January 15 last year, he sought treatment at Alexandra Hospital (AH) after developing a fever and rash.
He was then in a stable condition and was given an appointment to see a dermatologist about a week later. His condition had deteriorated further when he returned to AH on January 23.
In view of his worsening liver condition, he was admitted to the hospital and later transferred to National University Hospital (NUH) on the same day.
At NUH, dermatologists and the infectious diseases and liver transplant teams treated him. But his condition declined, developing multi-organ failure before eventually dying.
On Wednesday, State Coroner Ronald Gwee ruled a misadventure verdict on Mr Muhammad Sufian's death. Citing reports from two medical experts, the District Judge ruled out any negligence on the part of the physicians who provided "aggressive supportive treatment" to the deceased.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Lim Kah Beng's report noted that Mr Muhammad Sufian's case was "unusual", as the "complaints were more of a flu-like illness".
In an investigation report read out in court, Chief Army Medical Officer Colonel Dr Benjamin Seet said that Maloprim "had been very effective in preventing malaria amongst SAF troops training on Pulau Tekong and overseas". Prior to the incident, the drug "had a good safety profile in the SAF" and the serviceman's death was "unprecedented".
The court also heard of steps taken by the SAF to address the situation after a forensic report attributed Mr Muhammad Sufian's death to one of Maloprim's components.
SAF doctors were educated on the rare condition through a medical advisory and lecture.
An independent expert panel to review the SAF's anti-malaria policy was also convened last October. Based on its recommendations, Maloprim was replaced with two other drugs
my platoon mate. was a nice guy, really willing to go. we was just told its liver failure, din know its cause by dapsone....
man bro. we from G P2 miss you.