Members of the GFA Medical Committee Dr.Mabel Aboah and Dr. Prince Pambo represented the Football Association at the 3rd FIFA Medical Conference in Zurich last month.
Dr. Pambo who was invited by as a Speaker/Resource Person at the conference spoke on the implementation/benefits of the FIFA Football based health education programme ("Football for Health") in Ghana and in Africa.
Other issues discussed during the conference included sudden cardiac death, head injuries, role of the team Doctor and the effect of heat (high temperatures and humidity) on performance
On sudden cardiac death, the ability of a Doctor to rush to the field without necessarily being called by the referee was established. It was also said that the Doctor can only do this if he's very convinced a player is in a cardiac arrest.
The need for an AED to always be present at match venues was also established. The mandatory 3 minutes rule for the assessment of head injuries was also stated. Moreover, participants at the conference said that Referees are suppose to stop the game for 3 minutes to enable Doctors to adequately assess any player with a suspected head injury/concussion.
It was also mentioned that anytime the Wet Globe Bulb Temperatures (heat and humidity) rise above 32°C the referee has to stop the game for a cooling break.
These new regulations have all been endorsed and approved by the FIFA Executive Committee.
As a result of this, the GFA through its Technical Directorate will soon be organising a workshop where Club medics and paramedics, Coaches, Referees, Team Managers and administrators, the media etc will discuss these new updates to ensure a smooth implementation in Ghana Football.
