Safety measures are critical

MANY of us fans of the English Premiership were left stunned by the events of the weekend English FA Cup quarter-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers.

The match was abandoned on 41 minutes after Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba suddenly collapsed in the middle of the field. Subsequent news in the following days revealed that Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest.

The most probable cause was an irregular heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. Who would have thought this could happen to a strapping 23-year-old soccer player who is fitter than most.

Many have questioned whether the routine medical check-ups done for players are adequate.

I am pretty sure that most football clubs in the established leagues have a good medical system, but even the most stringent of medical check-ups may still not be able to pick up abnormalities. As the events involving Muamba showed, medical emergencies can, and will, occur even when we have done our best to prevent them.

As such, safety and emergency care cannot be over-emphasised. I believe incidents like this allow us to re-evalute our standard operating procedure and assess whether they are still adequate.

We in Malaysia should take this opportunity to review our safety protocol.

Are we ready to handle acute emergencies like cardiac events in our stadiums and other sporting venues?

Is the medical care provided in our stadiums adequate? Is there a doctor on the bench? How many doctors are provided in each stadium/venue? How many supporting paramedical staff are on duty?

The golden rule is early resuscitation, and for as long as possible, till help comes. Having just one doctor or paramedic around may not be enough.

Is there an ambulance on standby at the stadium that is being used? As we know, there is a shortage of ambulance services in the country and if an outside ambulance is required, there may be a critical delay. The longer the waiting time, the slimmer the success rate.

Are the medical staff at the stadiums provided with acute resuscitation equipment, e.g. intubation tubes, ambu bags?

Are Automated External Defibrillators (AEDS) provided in all stadiums/venues?

AEDS are portable electrical devices that will read the rhythm of an unconscious person. If an abnormal heartbeat is detected it will instruct the user to deliver an electric shock, returning the heart to a normal regular rhythm. Thus, it is a valuable life saving equipment not just in stadiums. It should also be provided in public places like shopping malls, transport centres, government offices, and etc.

Do stadiums/sporting venues have an emergency plan in place? I’m sure this may already be in place, but are most people aware of what to do?

“We are going to study all aspects of what has happened and, if there is some way to improve, will do what is in our hands to prevent that happening again,” said executive director of the Premier League Richard Scudamore.

We in Malaysia should also learn from this unfortunate episode to further improve the safety aspects in our sporting venues. Dr JOGINDER SINGH, Johor Baru.