Article published on Goal.com.
Apr 2, 2012 5:00:00 AM
Goal.com's Owen Tan finds out if medical facilities in the football scene here are sufficient in dealing with unforeseen circumstances
The two differing fates of footballers Fabrice Muamba and D. Venkatesh is a stark reminder of the crucial role that medical facilities play in the arena of sports.
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Muamba collapsed on the pitch midway through a match against Tottenham Hotspur; medical staff on hand quickly sent him to hospital. His heart, which had stopped for 78 minutes, was revived after 15 shocks from a defibrillator.
Muamba’s recovery has been encouraging and on Friday night the player tweeted a picture of himself from the hospital, looking healthy.
The fate of Bangalore Mars midfielder Venkatesh, however, was tragically different. Venkatesh had also collapsed on the pitch towards the end of a match.
Without even a single paramedic on standby, it had to take Venkatesh’s father to carry his son and transport him to the nearest hospital in an auto-rickshaw. Sadly, Venkatesh did not survive the journey.
In local football, several tragedies have also taken place in recent times, both in casual and professional games.
On the morning of March 11, Muhammad Khairil Muhammad Nizam, a Temasek Polytechnic student, collapsed halfway through a friendly football game and appeared to have a fit. Immediately a player from the opposing team tried to revive Khairil through cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but was unsuccessful.
Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) then arrived and attempted to revive him, but Khairil, unfortunately, died in Changi General Hospital afterwards.
The fact that Khairil was a fit individual and showed no signs of fatigue prior to his death is important to note that tragedies can occur anywhere, at any time, and medical facilities should be adequate for such incidents.
The professional football scene has also had its share of tragedies. Woodlands Wellington player S. Anthonysamy was paralysed from the neck down during a game in 1996, while Singapore soccer legend Dollah Kassim collapsed on the field during a charity match and died in 2010.
In the casual football setting, most facilities have no medical personnel on standby, with players playing at their own risk.
A local company that offers futsal facilities said that a standard first-aid kit is provided for players but there are no medical support staff.
“Currently, we haven’t seen any major incidents,” said the employee, who declined to be named.
“We only have medical support during big events.”
The employee also said that the company is planning to send its staff for first-aid courses so that they can be more prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Some facilities, however, do provide a higher standard of medical facilities.
Jeremy Joseph, one of the managers of The Cage, said that all the managers are trained in CPR and are required to complete a first-aid course as a prerequisite.
“There is always a medically trained staff on standby,” Joseph said.
“They are fully prepared for any situations. We also provide easy access for ambulances [in emergencies].
“The next step is to invest in a defibrillator for the facility.”
Naturally, the professional football scene is more stringent with its medical procedures. All professional footballers are required to go through compulsory medical screenings prior to their participation in the S-League, Prime League and National Football Academy.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has improved dramatically in its medical provision since the old Premier League days.
It was only in 1993 when Tiong Bahru player P. Mahendran fractured his leg and was left helpless on the pitch for 15 minutes that made FAS realise that Premier League rules did not take medical facilities into account.
Since then, the rules have been adjusted. According to Aizat Ramli, from the FAS corporate communications department, there is a match doctor on duty for every S.League and national football game, as well as two paramedics from the SCDF. Match officials are also required to have a stretcher on standby.
FAS also said that apart from the standard medical equipment provided, there is also a defibrillator available at every game.
But there is still some room for improvement, according to a match doctor for some S-League games.
“In terms of the basic facilities - essential equipment and ability to commence CPR - they are sufficient,” said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There were some matches, however, when he found that some important equipment were missing from the medical kit that was provided to him.
“I asked for a stethoscope [from the medics] and they couldn’t find one,” he said.
In another match, when the doctor wanted to sterilise the wound of a player, he was told that there was no more chlorhexidine solution. He was forced to use saline solution instead.
While he agreed that there should be adequate investment in medical facilities and preparedness, the doctor also said that costs and benefits have to be taken into account for the clubs and organisations.
“[The clubs in Singapore] are not like the English Premier League teams,” said the doctor. “I think the clubs also need to take into account whether the additional investment makes economic sense.”
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Muamba collapsed on the pitch midway through a match against Tottenham Hotspur; medical staff on hand quickly sent him to hospital. His heart, which had stopped for 78 minutes, was revived after 15 shocks from a defibrillator.
Muamba’s recovery has been encouraging and on Friday night the player tweeted a picture of himself from the hospital, looking healthy.
The fate of Bangalore Mars midfielder Venkatesh, however, was tragically different. Venkatesh had also collapsed on the pitch towards the end of a match.
Without even a single paramedic on standby, it had to take Venkatesh’s father to carry his son and transport him to the nearest hospital in an auto-rickshaw. Sadly, Venkatesh did not survive the journey.
In local football, several tragedies have also taken place in recent times, both in casual and professional games.
On the morning of March 11, Muhammad Khairil Muhammad Nizam, a Temasek Polytechnic student, collapsed halfway through a friendly football game and appeared to have a fit. Immediately a player from the opposing team tried to revive Khairil through cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but was unsuccessful.
Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) then arrived and attempted to revive him, but Khairil, unfortunately, died in Changi General Hospital afterwards.
The fact that Khairil was a fit individual and showed no signs of fatigue prior to his death is important to note that tragedies can occur anywhere, at any time, and medical facilities should be adequate for such incidents.
The professional football scene has also had its share of tragedies. Woodlands Wellington player S. Anthonysamy was paralysed from the neck down during a game in 1996, while Singapore soccer legend Dollah Kassim collapsed on the field during a charity match and died in 2010.
In the casual football setting, most facilities have no medical personnel on standby, with players playing at their own risk.
A local company that offers futsal facilities said that a standard first-aid kit is provided for players but there are no medical support staff.
“Currently, we haven’t seen any major incidents,” said the employee, who declined to be named.
“We only have medical support during big events.”
The employee also said that the company is planning to send its staff for first-aid courses so that they can be more prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Some facilities, however, do provide a higher standard of medical facilities.
Jeremy Joseph, one of the managers of The Cage, said that all the managers are trained in CPR and are required to complete a first-aid course as a prerequisite.
“There is always a medically trained staff on standby,” Joseph said.
“They are fully prepared for any situations. We also provide easy access for ambulances [in emergencies].
“The next step is to invest in a defibrillator for the facility.”
Naturally, the professional football scene is more stringent with its medical procedures. All professional footballers are required to go through compulsory medical screenings prior to their participation in the S-League, Prime League and National Football Academy.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has improved dramatically in its medical provision since the old Premier League days.
It was only in 1993 when Tiong Bahru player P. Mahendran fractured his leg and was left helpless on the pitch for 15 minutes that made FAS realise that Premier League rules did not take medical facilities into account.
Since then, the rules have been adjusted. According to Aizat Ramli, from the FAS corporate communications department, there is a match doctor on duty for every S.League and national football game, as well as two paramedics from the SCDF. Match officials are also required to have a stretcher on standby.
FAS also said that apart from the standard medical equipment provided, there is also a defibrillator available at every game.
But there is still some room for improvement, according to a match doctor for some S-League games.
“In terms of the basic facilities - essential equipment and ability to commence CPR - they are sufficient,” said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There were some matches, however, when he found that some important equipment were missing from the medical kit that was provided to him.
“I asked for a stethoscope [from the medics] and they couldn’t find one,” he said.
In another match, when the doctor wanted to sterilise the wound of a player, he was told that there was no more chlorhexidine solution. He was forced to use saline solution instead.
While he agreed that there should be adequate investment in medical facilities and preparedness, the doctor also said that costs and benefits have to be taken into account for the clubs and organisations.
“[The clubs in Singapore] are not like the English Premier League teams,” said the doctor. “I think the clubs also need to take into account whether the additional investment makes economic sense.”
