Cricketers light up Burjeel sports medicine unit opening
dubai — International cricketers from Pakistan and South Africa gave the opening ceremony of the Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy Unit at the Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery, a touch of glamour on Saturday.
Twelve players, three from the Proteas side and the rest from Pakistani team now engaged in a series against the South Africans in the UAE, were present for the function along with seniors officials of the establishment.
The senior South African and Pakistan players present namely, Jean Paul Duminy, Misbah-ulHaq and Shahid Afridi were of the view that modern international sports — especially an injury prone game like cricket — have to have physiotherapy and sports medicine specialists as an integral part of the system.
The other stars who turned up for the function were Saeed Ajmal, Mohammed Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammed Akram, Muhammed Hafeez, Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell and team managers Moin Khan and Moosaje.
Duminy said: “Our careers are so dependant on good sports medicine and rehabilitation backing these days when we play every second day during the season.”
“I see a fine setup here at Bujeel Hospital and I am hoping that more such specialised sports medicine centres open up back in South Africa. Even at a rudimentary level we have to get the specialisation available for the youngsters and the experienced hands to launch and sustain careers,” Duminy added.
Pakistan and South Africa are now engaged in a limited overs series after the conclusion of the Tests a week ago.
The new unit at the hospital is managed by a team of experts led by Dr Ottmar Siegfried and Dr Faisal Hayat Khan.
Before taking on his new role with Burjeel, Dr Khan was the official physiotherapist for the the Pakistan national cricket team and chief physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy.
He has also worked with the Australian National Cricket Team and Australian softball and soccer teams.
Dr Ottmar Siegfried, head of the Sports Medicine Department, is a German experienced specialist in orthopedic surgery and has specialised in the treatment of sports injuries. He previously worked as head of the Olympic Medical Base and as a team doctor for the national soccer, American football sides and fencing squads.
He has earned a reputation in sports-traumatology and uses minimally invasive treatment for knee, shoulder and Achilles tendon problems.
Dr Khan said: “Whether you’re an international sporting superstar or a stay-at-home mum, my advice about taking care of your health and mobility is the same. I believe in adding movement to life and avoiding pills and surgery wherever possible.”
“With the implementation of treatment and rehabilitation, physiotherapy can create a drastically better living experience for a patient,” said Dr Khan. “At Burjeel Hospital of Advanced Surgery our dedicated Physiotherapists take a holistic approach, looking at the body as a whole rather than focusing on the individual factors of an injury or illness.”