PHK wrote:...What happens while serving NS if he needs medical tratement / surgery, willl they pay for it or is it the parents on the hook again?
How do they work the healthcare in NS anyway please?
all national servicemen have free healthcare so long as they visit public hospitals/polyclinics or report to the on-duty medical officer (eg, at the assigned military medical centre).
every day, all NSF/NS men are allowed to "report sick" and they will be sent to the unit MO. if your son is not in-unit (eg, over the weekend), he can head to a nearby public hospital's A&E/walk-in clinic.
he is free to visit a private clinic/hospital if he's not within unit grounds but will not get the charges reimbursed. if he's on unit grounds, he would be expected to visit the unit MO (on duty 24/7).
his NS identity card will have all charges waived. please do not expect "A" ward-level hospitalization privileges/benefits.
if he is injured while serving NS, eg (knock on wood) he falls and hurts his back while on duty chasing after someone trying to steal armament and this causes long term "pain and suffering", he should get paperwork attesting to such. then in future, all visits to public healthcare institutions for treatment/consultation related that injury will be covered by the SAF.
additionally, the SAF actually has a good group insurance scheme your son SHOULD sign up for IMO, and keep paying for even after NS (again, IMO).
the NS healthcare system works as such: if an NSF needs medical or dental treatment, the government will cover it (CARE FOR SOLDIER!), but only as a subsidized (not private) patient.
thus if your son is seriously ill, so much so that it is likely it will cost the SAF lots of money to treat, there is no reason why the medical doctors will choose to classify and deploy him inappropriately...
and of course there are repercussions on the part of the MOs who do so.
all MOs, whether uniformed or a civilian contracted to the unit (common in some SCDF/SPF units), are fully qualified and registered medical doctors with at least 1 year of experience as an intern/houseman.
they are equivalent to your local GP, albeit usually a young one.
they are empowered by vocation and/or rank to ensure your son's superiors abide by their medical instructions. eg, bed rest.