Medical crisis in sports

Apr 24, 2006

A BLOODY incident in the KCC versus SC Villa match on Friday again raised serious medical concerns about the safety of Ugandan sportsmen.

A BLOODY incident in the KCC versus SC Villa match on Friday again raised serious medical concerns about the safety of Ugandan sportsmen.

Villa defender Andy Mwesigwa left the pitch with a battered eyelid after colliding with a fellow player.

Such body injuries are not uncommon in contact sports like football, but, what was shocking though, was the casualness with which the SC Villa-cum-Cranes player was treated.
You would have expected Villa’s medical personnel to rush their player to hospital for tests after a knock on such a sensitive part of the body.

But all the player got were three stitches, and he continued watching the derby from the sidelines. Then, most likely, returned home to await a review the next day.

In another incident in a match at Wankulukuku, a seriously injured player lay in agony for several minutes.

There was no medical personnel to attend to him until a sympathetic boy from the stands rushed onto the field with a mineral water bottle to give him first aid!
It all goes back to how seriously our teams, FUFA’s competitions committee and other sports disciplines take the medical question.

You’ve certainly heard of boxers sharing gum shields, bandages and towels.
You would be shocked if you also endeavoured to find out exactly how many clubs have trained medical personnel or even a first aid kit. Neither have the respective stadia also taken the medical issue seriously.

Is it therefore surprising that one of the leading soccer clubs has a DJ masquerading as a doctor?

Basics like stretchers and ambulances only seem to be available during the big games.

And one shouldn't be surprised if they are asked to first buy fuel for the vehicles, before the injuries are attended to.

Ugandan footballers first got a feel of the risks they are exposed to during a 2004 Cranes visit to Germany.

‘I SAY SO’ - James Bakama

A medical check up by the hosts revealed that virtually the entire 23-man squad was by international standards in ‘Dangerous Medical Condition’.

No wonder many of our footballers who go for trials abroad have medical tests as their main undoing.

The Education and Sports ministry should through its arm NCS, ensure that the respective sports bodies meet certain minimum standards before being allowed to organise events. It’s simply absurd to depend on luck in the 21 century.

jbakama@newvision.co.ug

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