Woman suffers fractured finger after tripping on elevated drain cover at Chai Chee Rd

A woman suffered a fractured index finger and a cut on her lower lip after tripping over an elevated drain cover at the foot of Block 25, Chai Chee Road at 5am on Tuesday (July 17). 

Madam Dai, 68, who works as a cleaner told Shin Min Daily News that she was on her way to work on the day of the incident and her injuries have left her unable to work for the next two weeks. 

She said:

“On that day, it was still early and the sky wasn’t even lit up yet. There was also some distance to the street lights, so I didn’t notice (the drain cover).

“I kept my eyes on the path. I was not distracted or doing anything else.“

Madam Dai then called her son for help after tripping over, as there was no one in the vicinity. 

Her son then brought her to Changi General Hospital (CGH)  for treatment. 

Said Madam Dai:

“I have bruises on my lips and chin, and a serious cut on my lower lip. My index finger is fractured, and my arms hurt as well.

“I was given two weeks of medical leave to recuperate at home.”

She said that she has walked the same stretch of road for more than 20 years, but was now wary to take the path, opting to go by a sheltered walkway instead. 

Madam Dai also added that she would be more careful in the future. 

Her son, Mr Li, told reporters that elevated drain covers were akin to a “ticking time bombs” and could affect many people, especially the elderly citizens in the neighbourhood.

He added that this might even lead to a fatal incident.

He said:

“I have already sent two emails to the town council and I was told that they were in the process of handling the matter.

“I hope to warn others though this incident.”

Reporters paid a visit to the stretch of road where Madam Dai had tripped and found that all the drains in the vicinity were covered with metal gratings.

A resident, Mr Zheng, 70, said some stretches did not have drain covers, and could be dangerous. 

He said:

“There are a lot of elderly folks here, and many of us like to take shortcuts.

“If there are no drain covers, someone may fall.”

Another 61-year-old resident who declined to be named, said that he had fallen down at the drain just around three to four weeks ago:

“Fortunately it was just some abrasions at the time. The elderly folks are more fragile, and if I had really fallen in, it would have been hard for me to climb up.”

In response to media queries, a spokesman from the Marine Parade Town Council said that it regretted the incident. 

The spokesman added that a town council representative had paid a visit to Madam Dai on Wednesday (July 18) and is working with public liability insurers to provide assistance.