On falling ill in a taxi.

It is time for a common policy of taxi driver response to a passenger falling ill, in the cab. I say this because of something which happened in Singapore, recently.

Some weeks ago, a man travelling in a cab, in Singapore, became ill - and fell unconscious in the cab. The driver took him to the nearest Polyclinic. There he had to wait to be seen, as is usual in Polyclinics. The real problem with this scenario is that he had had a heart attack. He died.

Now, this story might have had a different ending if the taxi driver's standard response, according to his company policy, had been to drive him straight to the nearest hospital. There he would have received emergency treatment for his heart attack. It might have been possible to save his life. Sadly, he was instead taken to somewhere that had two failings: plenty of people waiting to be seen, who might not be keen to give him priority - and the likelihood that the Polyclinic would lack the relevant equipment to deal with the situation.

No-one who falls acutely ill in a cab should be condemned to death by a taxi driver who, perhaps being a little too lazy, takes them to the nearest everyday clinic. In such situations, a hospital should be the automatic answer.

I rather hope that someone in a position to change policy reads this and responds sensibly and proactively to prevent other unnecessary deaths in future.

My condolences to the family of the man in question.

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