Group Photo Of Participants At GFF’s FIFA-Facilitated Medicine Workshop
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) last Tuesday, 19th February, successfully wrapped up a two-day FIFA-facilitated medicine workshop held for physiotherapists and doctors attached to the nine Regional Member Associations, the first to be held for medical professionals in Guyana following a 23-year lapse.
The workshop, which was held at the Guyana Olympic Association’s Conference facility and attended by 27 participants who engaged in both theoretical and practical exercises, was led by Head of FIFA Medical and Anti-Doping Department Alexis Weber and included FIFA Medical Instructors Dr. Andre Pedrinelli and Dr. Jairo Cortes Rojas, along with the Group Leader of FIFA Medical Office, Anja König.
“We have a mandate as a fraternity to take care of our players, fans, officials and all other stakeholders who serve the game,” GFF’s President Wayne Forde said in closing remarks at the event. He added that building capacity to deliver quality care is among the mandate of the GFF’s Council: “It is the mandate of the GFF Council but, beyond the mandate, it is a moral responsibility of ours to ensure that those of you who are charged with the responsibility to ensure that we can respond appropriately to anyone who is injured or seems to be experiencing difficulty with their physiology during the conduct of the game or any other, is treated with the best and highest level of care we can deliver.”
Dr. Andre Pedrinelli, FIFA Medical Instructor, Demonstrating Management Of Injuries
The workshop addressed areas such as the role of the team doctor, medical bag, sideline gears, the role of the physiotherapist, minimum stadium requirements, injury prevention, pre-competition medical assessment, head injury and concussion, anti-doping regulations, and emergency medicine in football. It also offered an overview of the FIFA Football Medicine Diploma, which participants were invited to enroll for, and a brief about FIFA and its development programmes.
Quacy Paddy, Physiotherapist attached to the Upper Demerara Football Association, was high in praise for the workshop: “I found this workshop very, very interesting. It opened my eyes to a lot of issues that are lacking in our football fraternity in Linden and areas that we need to strengthen and improve in. I also had a refresher on some conditions that would require medical attention both on and off the pitch. It also opened my horizon to the treatment protocol for concussion and sudden cardiac arrest. I learned about transporting patients on and off the field and how critical it is, and the importance of time on these cases.”
Essequibo-Pomeroon Football Association’s Jason Boyce said learning the importance of prevention rather than treatment stood out for him: “This programme was very beneficial to me as a physiotherapist as I’ve never really viewed the content as presented by the facilitators. One of the most outstanding areas was the emphasis on prevention of injuries rather than treatment. They have given us advice on how to prepare for injuries as well as content on how we can prevent injuries. I plan to return to my Association, share the knowledge as well as mobilize players to develop themselves to prevent injuries from happening on and off the field. In terms of difference of approach following the workshop, I would be more careful before the matches rather than waiting to see what will happen in the match, that is, examine the players and see whether they are healthy enough to play the match in the first place, as an example.”