adminThe call comes after the cardiac arrest of Bolton player, Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed during an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspurs two weeks ago, with doctors saying he died for 78 minutes.
In what proved to be a dark weekend for football, an Indian player collapsed and died on the same day, with the medical expertise in England being the only reason why the Democratic Republic of Congo-born Muamba is alive today.
In Zimbabwe, Nqobizitha Ndlovu, who played for Silo United in the Central Region collapsed and died during a league match last year.
The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League roars into life today.
A defibrillator is a machine used to shock the victim’s heart and restore the heart’s normal rhythmic patterns. When a defibrillator is used, it in effect kicks the heart into action again, causing it to resume sending blood throughout the body.
ZSM committee secretary Nicholas Munyonga said it was imperative for paramedics to have the device with them instead of keeping it in an ambulance.
An official from EMRAS told Chronicle Sports that their paramedics always carried the device to football matches.
“The first 90 seconds are essential and therefore Fifa requires that all paramedics must have a defibrillator. In fact according to international standards, the device must be produced during the pre-match meeting so we are encouraging the Premier Soccer League to make sure that is followed,” said Munyonga.
He said his committee would also want a situation where at least one of the two teams has a medical doctor who can deal with any sports emergency situation.
“The right situation will be to have all the teams having a medical doctor and the league providing a match doctor, who will not necessarily be for any team. I am sure that way lives could be saved,” said Munyonga from his base in Harare.
Most PSL clubs are using nurses or physiotherapists as medical personnel, with Dynamos and Highlanders being the only known clubs with a medical doctor and a physiotherapist.
Munyonga said his organisation wanted to have a football emergency course with all the premiership club doctors in February but the league was yet to furnish them with details.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said the course could not be held because of lack of funding.
“We will, however, have it before the end of the year,” said Ndebele.
Munyonga said without that course, it would be difficult for his committee to know exactly the state of preparedness for clubs to deal with such emergencies.
Online Reporter