Toddler has gaping wound that exposed parts of skull after falling on cracked tiles in Sengkang

Wong Shiying
The Straits Times
Jun 4, 2023

A 2½-year-old toddler received 24 stitches on his forehead after he fell on some cracked tiles on a walkway in Sengkang.

The incident happened last Wednesday at around 5pm near the playground beside Block 417A Fernvale Link, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday.

The boy’s mother, who wanted to be known only as Ms Guo, told the Chinese-language daily that her son had tripped on the walkway and hit his forehead on the sharp edges of the cracked tiles.

The cracked tiles have since been fixed, Shin Min reported on Sunday.

Ms Guo said there was a gaping wound on her son’s forehead, which exposed parts of his skull. She took him to a hospital, where he underwent a procedure to stitch his wound.

She said her son was struggling from the pain during the procedure and had to be held down by hospital staff to prevent him from fidgeting.

The boy was hospitalised for two nights and the hospital bill came up to $8,400.

An Ang Mo Kio town council spokesman told Shin Min that the council had noticed the cracked tiles and made arrangements to repair them.

He said: “It was unfortunate that the accident took place before repairs were carried out.

“Upon receiving feedback, we took immediate action to mark out the affected area with bright-coloured cones to alert others. We also thoroughly checked the surrounding area to ensure that there were no similar defects.”

The spokesman added that the town council has contacted the boy’s mother and apologised to her for the distress caused.

“The safety of our residents is our top priority and we remain dedicated to providing a safe and conducive living environment for our residents,” he added.

The Straits Times

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