Panic as sudden death over poor medical facilities lingers in NPFL
Last Sunday, March 8 was another sad day for Nigerian football as one more player, Chineme Martins slumped and died while playing in the Nigeria Professional Football League for Nasarawa United against Katsina United at the Lafia township stadium.
His death which marred Nasarawa United’s 3-0 drubbing of Katsina United once again brought to the fore a major deficiency in the league which has to do with substandard and inadequate medical facilities at match venues.
Reports have it that the 22-year old player’s life would have been saved, if there were prompt and appropriate response from well trained medical personnel.
Unfortunately, Martins suffered similar fate with other Nigerian players who died because they didn’t have access to the kind of medical response that is obtainable in other climes.
It was alleged that after the player collapsed, a rickety ‘ambulance’ stationed inside Lafia stadium just to fulfil all righteousness failed to start even as over five hefty men attempted to push it back to life.
While the shameful act of ‘ambulance pushing’ was ongoing, pandemonium ensued around the player who was battling for life on the turf as men who posed as medical staff of the club and other officials applied orthodox methods to revive him.
After precious minutes were wasted, the player was then ‘rushed’ to Dalhatu- Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia where he was pronounced dead.
This is not the first time a Nigerian player has died in action. It will be recalled that even before the death of Samuel Okwaraji on August 12, 1989, another Nigerian David Omofeye had collapsed and died while playing for Railways of Lagos against Marines in 1954.
After the death of Okwaraji which sent shock waves around the globe because of his profile, others like Amir Angwe, John Akande, Tunde Charity Ikhidero, Sam Okoye, Endurance Idahor, John Ikoroma, Emma Ogoli, Orobosa Adun, Bobsam Elejiko, among others also died in active service.
While some passed on playing in the domestic league, others like Sam Okoye, Endurance Idahor, Charity Ikhidero, Chinoso Ihelwere, Bobsam Elejiko and John Ikoroma died while playing for their clubs abroad.
Thus, the unfortunate death of Martins last Sunday has only added to the number of Nigerian players who died in action in the Nigerian domestic league.
Unfortunately, his death has thrown up nothing other than the usual reactive measures which greeted similar deaths in the Nigerian football league.
Immediately his death was confirmed, the League Management Company was the first to issue a statement to the effect that the cause of the player’s death would be investigated.
The league body also pledged to ensure that henceforth clubs show evidence of the required medical facilities at their venues before matches would be played.
The statement reads: “The player was attended to by medics of the two clubs when he slumped and was later rushed to Dalhatu- Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia where he was later pronounced dead.
“The LMC expects that there would be a standard autopsy to establish the cause of the player’s death.”
Sports minister, Sunday Dare who described Martins’ death as “regrettably avoidable” vowed to work with the NPFL to establish mandatory conditions over medical facilities.
Dare further directed that no game should be played henceforth without the presence of paramedic personnel and equipment at match venues.
“It is really sad as it was preventable, it was unexpected. I worked the phones to speak with the sports administrators and we have taken a decision that from March 14th, no league game will be played without the full complement of the medics.
A statement from the football ruling body, the NFF was not different as it only reiterated the minister’s position on no medics, no match.
Already the government of Nasarawa State reactively promised a brand new ambulance for the Lafia township stadium as well as well trained personnel to attend to the medical needs of both Nasarawa United and Nasarawa Amazons.
Although the relevant authorities have done the proclamations which usually follow such tragedies, the key actors in the Nigerian professional football league are panic stricken.
Those who spoke to Trust Sports painted a sordid picture of lack of medical equipment and trained personnel in their
clubs to deal with emergencies like the one that cut short the life of Martins.
Speaking with Trust Sports, Plateau United captain, Elisha Golbe described the death of Martins as sad and devastating.
“In Europe the situation is different. You have well trained medical personnel attending to players health needs. However, in our league, somebody in the street who is not a professional is brought in to take care of medical needs of the players. I’m not sure we have qualified medical personnel in the league.
“The LMC should screen medical personnel and not the ones what will be shouting ‘turn your leg or only know how to use ice block’. We lack oxygen in our clubs, he said.
He further berated club owners and football administrators at all levels for never putting the interest of players on the front burner just as he chided the players for resorting to any means to treat themselves in order to return to action.
Golbe also lamented that clubs abandon them when they get injured and are left with no option than to use their personal funds to treat themselves in any way possible.
“Most of us take drugs to treat ourselves and keep us going and some of the drugs may be contraband. We still use them because the league does not do random doping exercise. Sometimes, these drugs affect our health but we don’t know.
“They simply don’t value our lives. Players are always scared to talk because of intimidation and consequences that await anyone who dares raise a voice,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Enyimba centre back and substantive captain, Ifeanyi Anaemena, advocated for the suspension of the league to enable the NPFL clubs to put in place the required medical facilities.
“The truth is that I am not happy with what is happening in the league. Instead of improving, we are declining and it’s very sad we lost him. But it shouldn’t be only when a player dies that they would talk of doing the needful. This shows that our lives don’t matter to them.
“We are suffering but many of us can’t speak in order to avoid being sacked. Some of us are even shy from granting interviews.
“The league needs to be put on hold. Yes, it is true we benefit from the league because it’s our career but speaking my own mind, the league needs to be on hold for things to be done properly.
“The LMC must make sure that every club has standard medical facilities,” he said.
Anaemena further collaborated the earlier position of his counterpart from Plateau United as he said due to lack of adequate and standard medical support in the clubs, players in the NPFL usually resort to self help when they are injured.
“Most of the clubs in NPFL don’t have standard medical facilities. I have been out for weeks because of injury. I have been treating myself with no input from the club.
“The Team Doctor also acts as Team Manager so it is hard to comprehend how this is happening,” he said.
Another player who pleaded for anonymity said the situation in his club is so pathetic that the players are living at the mercy of God.
He said the club from the north-central cannot boast of a single well trained medical personnel.
“Our own story should be the most shameful. You see in other clubs, there are at least nurses posing as medical doctors but I doubt very much if our own are even nurses.
“Sometimes you wonder what they would do in case of serious injuries or the type of emergency that took the life of that Nasarawa United player.
“Most of us resort to self medication because we don’t have any alternative. Where are the medical facilities?. It is only God that is keeping us away from sudden deaths as we play in the NPFL,” he said.
A top official of Nasarawa United football club told Trusty Sports that autopsy is yet to be conducted on Martins because the consent of his family is required.
“We are yet to do the autopsy because his family must give their consent. We are also eager to do it because it will help us to know what went wrong and how it can be prevented in future,” he said.
Meanwhile, even as Martins body is yet to be committed to mother earth, the league will continue this weekend across match venues and it is most unlikely that things would be done differently.