For burns, cuts and falls at home in Punggol: cool a burn under running water for 20 minutes, as KKH and HealthHub advise, press on a bleeding cut, and have a doctor check a child after any head injury. Call 995 for large burns, a deep cut exposing flesh or bone, or anyone unconscious.
Household accidents happen fast: a cup of hot tea, a slip of the knife, a toddler off the sofa. A few clear steps help you stay steady.
This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers first aid for burns, cuts and falls at home, the signs that mean a GP, A&E or 995, and simple ways to prevent scalds.
Quick answer
- Burn or scald: hold it under running water for 20 minutes, as KKH and HealthHub advise, then cover with a clean towel. No ice, toothpaste, oil or soy sauce.
- Cut: press on it with your hand, a clean cloth or a pressure bandage. KKH says a tourniquet is unnecessary and dangerous.
- Fall or head knock: watch for drowsiness, vomiting, confusion or bleeding from the ears or nose.
- Call 995 for large burns, a deep cut exposing flesh or bone, broken limbs, head or neck injuries, or anyone unconscious.
- Nearest A&E: Sengkang General Hospital, 24 hours. A GP can treat minor burns, small cuts and sprains.
What to Do First for Burns, Cuts and Falls
Burns and scalds
- Remove the heat. KKH says to take off burning clothing, or clothes soaked with scalding or corrosive liquid. SingHealth adds: remove jewellery near the burn, and if fabric is stuck to the wound, do not pull it off; cut around it.
- Cool it for 20 minutes. KKH: “Hold the burned area under running water for 20 minutes.” HealthHub gives the same time and says to start as soon as possible.
- Cover it loosely. After cooling, KKH says to cover the burn with a clean towel. SingHealth also suggests sterile gauze or cling wrap.
- Do not add anything. KKH, SingHealth and HealthHub between them say: no ice, toothpaste, oil, soy sauce, butter, creams or ointments, and no sticky or fluffy dressings. KKH says do not prick blisters unless you are medically trained.
Cuts and bleeding
- Press on the wound. KKH says to apply pressure with your hands or a pressure bandage, and that a tourniquet is “unnecessary and is in fact dangerous”.
- Keep pressing. For a child, HealthHub says go to the emergency department if bleeding does not stop after five minutes of direct pressure. SingHealth’s GPFirst injury advice, for general injuries, says go if severe bleeding does not stop despite 15 minutes of direct pressure.
- Clean it once bleeding stops. SingHealth says use mild soap and running water, avoid harsh antiseptics such as hydrogen peroxide, and do not wash off the clot.
- Cover and change. SingHealth says use a sterile dressing, and change it daily or whenever it gets wet or dirty.
Falls and head knocks
- Check for danger signs. HealthHub lists unconsciousness, a seizure, and head or neck injuries as reasons to call 995.
- Bring a child to a doctor after any head injury. That is KKH’s advice. It says drowsiness, unconsciousness, vomiting or bleeding from the ears or nose are especially serious.
- Do not leave an adult alone. After a head injury, SingHealth says a responsible adult should watch them closely for 24 to 48 hours. For the first 24 hours, do not leave them alone, and no driving, alcohol or drowsy medicines.
- For a sprain, use RICE for the first 24 to 48 hours, as SingHealth advises: rest; ice or a cold pack wrapped in a towel for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, never directly on the skin; a snug elastic bandage; and raising the limb above heart level.
Where to Go and Who to Call
| Who | Where and contact | Hours | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCDF ambulance | 995 | 24 hours | Large burns, deep cuts exposing flesh or bone, broken limbs, head or neck injuries, unconsciousness or seizures. |
| 24-hour and late-night GP clinics in Punggol | See our late-night GP guide | Varies by clinic | Mild burns and scalds, cuts needing a dressing or tetanus jab, strains and sprains. |
| Sengkang General Hospital Emergency Department | 110 Sengkang East Way, Singapore 544886. Tel 6930 5000 (24-hour general line). Sengkang MRT (NE16) Exit D, about 400m. | 24 hours | The nearest A&E. Under-16s may be transferred to KKH after being stabilised. |
| KKH Children’s Emergency and KKH Burn Centre | KKH, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899. Children’s Emergency at Basement 1, Children’s Tower. KKH 24-hour enquiries 6225 5554. | Children’s Emergency hours not stated on the KKH pages we checked | Serious injuries and burns in children. KKH’s Burn Centre is Singapore’s first dedicated paediatric burn centre (KKH news, 4 December 2025). |
| NUH Children’s Urgent Care Clinic @ Bukit Panjang | Junction 10, 1 Woodlands Road, #01-22, Singapore 677899. Tel 6219 1538. | Daily 9am–11pm; last registration 9pm | Minor fractures, sprains, minor head injuries and wound stitching, up to age 18. |
| First aid and CPR courses | See our first aid courses guide | — | Learning these skills before you need them. |
Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: SKH Emergency Medicine, KKH Children’s Emergency and NUH Children’s Urgent Care Clinic.
Which Situation Fits You
A child is scalded by hot water, soup or a drink
Scalds made up 71% of children’s burns at KKH in 2024. Cool for the full 20 minutes that KKH and HealthHub advise. HealthHub says go straight to the emergency department, or call an ambulance, for any burn larger than the person’s hand, or a partial-thickness burn on the face, hands, arms, feet, legs or genitals. See a doctor soon for blisters, a burn larger than 3cm, signs of infection, or if your child is not up to date with tetanus.
A chemical or electrical burn
HealthHub says to flush a chemical burn with running water. For an electrical burn, switch off the power first, then move the child away using something non-metallic, not your bare hands. Both types need the emergency department, as do white or charred burns, even small ones, and suspected smoke inhalation.
A deep kitchen cut
Keep pressing. SingHealth says go to the emergency department if the cut is deep and bleeding will not stop, if fat, tendon, muscle or bone is visible, or if something may be stuck in it. See a GP for cuts with sand or splinters, cuts from a rusty object, or a dirty wound if you have not had a tetanus booster in the last 5 years.
A baby or toddler falls
KKH says common causes include falls from chairs, tables, adult beds, baby walkers and sarong cradles. HealthHub says to go to the emergency department if a baby under six months fell more than 90cm, or if a child lost consciousness, had a seizure, has weak limbs, is vomiting, is drowsy or very irritable, or has bruising under the eyes or behind the ears.
NUH’s head injury leaflet says to return to Children’s Emergency at once for unusual behaviour, confusion, a child who cannot be woken or is unusually drowsy, seizures, an increasing or persistent headache, unsteady walking, weak or numb limbs, or more than three bouts of vomiting. Warning signs are most likely within 72 hours, but can appear up to three weeks later.
An older parent falls and hits their head
SingHealth says the elderly, and people on blood thinners, are prone to serious consequences after a head injury. Call for help and go to the emergency department if signs such as sleepiness, headache, vomiting or dizziness get worse, if their behaviour changes, if they develop weakness or numbness, have trouble walking or talking, have a fit, or have blood or clear fluid from the nose or ears.
Costs and Waiting Times
- Sengkang General Hospital A&E: S$171 attendance fee from 1 October 2025. MediSave cannot be used for the emergency bill. A participating GP’s original GPFirst Referral Form takes $50 off.
- Waiting: Sengkang’s emergency department treats major limb fractures as higher priority than sprains and minor injuries, and says non-emergency patients may wait an average of more than four hours.
- NUH Children’s Urgent Care Clinic: S$107 for Singapore Citizens from 1 September 2026, covering the consultation, X-rays and basic tests. Casts, splints and stitching are among its services.
Neighbour’s Tips
- Set a timer for 20 minutes. It feels like a long time under the tap, and it is the time KKH and HealthHub recommend.
- Use placemats, not tablecloths. A toddler can pull a tablecloth and bring hot drinks down with it.
- Turn pot handles inwards and cook on the back burners where you can. Stove guards and a child-locked thermos help too.
- Run the cold water first at bath time, then add hot, and keep hot water below 50°C.
- Press, do not tie. KKH calls a tourniquet unnecessary and dangerous; pressure on the wound is the answer.
- Keep the 72-hour watch after a child’s head knock, as NUH advises.
- Stock a first-aid kit. HealthHub lists sterile dressings and gauze, plasters, adhesive and elastic bandages, a triangular bandage, scissors, tweezers, disposable gloves, saline and safety pins.
If It’s Urgent or Gets Worse
HealthHub says to call 995 for serious injury, such as a deep cut exposing flesh or bone, a head, chest or stomach cut, broken limbs, head or neck injuries, or large burns, and for anyone unresponsive or unconscious. If a burned child needs CPR, HealthHub says: “Perform CPR. Call 995 immediately.”
Since 1 June 2025, MOH has been transferring 995 calls that are not life-threatening to NurseFirst (6262 6262, 8am–11pm), so describe the injury clearly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I cool a burn?
For 20 minutes under running water, say KKH and HealthHub. Start as soon as you can.
Should I put ice or toothpaste on a burn?
No. KKH says no ice, and no toothpaste, oil or soy sauce. Use cool running water only.
Should I pop a burn blister?
No. KKH says do not prick blisters unless you are medically trained, and HealthHub says blisters are a reason to see a doctor soon.
When does a cut need A&E?
SingHealth says when it is deep and will not stop bleeding, shows fat, tendon, muscle or bone, or may have something stuck in it; its GPFirst injury advice gives 15 minutes of direct pressure for severe bleeding. For a child, HealthHub says go if bleeding has not stopped after five minutes of direct pressure.
My child bumped their head and seems fine. What now?
KKH advises seeing a doctor after any head injury. Watch closely for 72 hours for drowsiness, vomiting, confusion or headache, as NUH advises.
Where can I learn first aid?
Our first aid, CPR and AED courses guide lists options near Punggol.
More Help on eduKate Punggol
- Nearest hospitals to Punggol: SKH, KKH and CGH, and when to go.
- First aid, CPR and AED training in Punggol
- Home first-aid readiness in Punggol: family kits and when to call 995.
- Home safety for childminding
- Kick scooters for kids in Punggol: path rules and helmets.
- Ageing well and senior services in Punggol
- Official: KKH via SingHealth: burn first aid in children · HealthHub: burns and scalds · SingHealth: head injury
A Calmer Kitchen
Accidents happen in the most careful homes, and you now know the steps. Pin this page, stock the first-aid kit, and when you have a free weekend, book a first aid course for the grown-ups in the house.
And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp
eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
Primary and Secondary
By appointment · +65 8823 1234
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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.
