GFF successfully concludes FIFA-facilitated medicine workshop

On Tuesday last, February 19, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) successfully wrapped up a two-day FIFA-facilitated medicine workshop held for physiotherapists and doctors attached to the nine regional member associations. It was the first to be held for medical professionals in Guyana following a 23-year lapse.
Held at the Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA’s) Conference facility, the workshop was attended by 27 participants who engaged in both theoretical and practical exercises under the leadership of Head of the FIFA Medical and Anti-Doping Department, Alexis Weber, with 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 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 Executive Committee.
“It is the mandate of the GFF Executive Committee; 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,” he said.
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-game medical assessment, head injuries such as concussions, anti-doping regulations, and emergency medicine in football. It also offered an overview of the FIFA Football Medicine Diploma, for which participants were invited to enroll, and a briefing about FIFA and its development programmes.
Quacy Paddy, Physiotherapist attached to the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA), was high in praise of 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,” he confessed.
Essequibo-Pomeroon Football Association’s (EFA) 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 mobilise 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,” he explained.