Low Blood Sugar, High Blood Pressure Responsible For Cardiac Attack In Players - Olasupo

Matron Abimbola Olasupo

Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji 

ABEOKUTA - The Matron and Head of Medical Services, Ogun State Sports Council, Mrs. Olasupo Abimbola Olasumbo has advised Football club Owners in Nigeria to ensure regular check up of their players to avoid cardiac arrest in the coming football season. 

Mrs. Olasupo gave the admonition on Wednesday at a seminar organized for League clubs in Ogun State by the Ogun State Football Association held at the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta. 

Mrs. Olasupo said regular monthly check up would eliminate crisis associated with cardiac arrest.

The Matron noted that, many of the players have underlying medical condition such as high blood pressure, low blood sugar and protein in the urine which may be responsible for a player to slump while on the field of play. 

She added that, some players suffer epileptic attack due to scar in the brain resulting from consistent head collision while nodding for the ball. 

She maintained that, many football clubs in the Nigerian leagues are too nonchalant to the medical department of their teams resulting in untimely death of players due to lack of medical attention. 

According to her, most of the players have underlying medical condition which they hide from their coaches for the fear of being dropped from the team, but a regular medical assessments would unravel such ailment in the player. 

She however, urged football club owners to engage qualified medical personnel consisting of a sports physician, sports medicine nurse, physiotherapist, masseur and cardiologist. 

"All the clubs should be able to engage a qualified medical personnel. What happens with most of the clubsides is that they engage those that are not qualified. Some teams choose among the players as medical personnel. 

"At least, a team of sports medicine consisting of Sports physician, sports medicine nursery, physiotherapist, cardiologist should be on the medical team.  If a team can not afford all the specialist, at least, a club must have a qualified nurse, a physiotherapist and a masseur who knows what they are doing. So, my advice for the club in the coming season, they should engage a qualified nurse.

"Most of the clubsides are just jeopardizing the lives of the players, using them on the field without taking care of their health. Most of these players have underlying medical condition which they don't disclose to their coaches for the fear of being dropped. 

"If you cannot afford the qualified medical personnel, they should at least engage the first aiders, Red Cross or even auxiliary nurses so far you are in Ogun state, I can train them in line with the sports medicine. 

"I would advised clubs in the premier league, NNL, NLO to try and get at least a qualified nurse, so that unforeseen circumstances will not been happening. 

"Also,  the clubsides should endeavors to do medical check up for these players maybe bi-monthly or monthly. It's not only cardiac arrest that can make sports medicine or a player to slump. Where the blood sugar is low, the player tend to slump at anytime, where there is high blood pressure, the player can slump at anytime, where there's continuous nodding to avoiding blood vision, or injury in the brain.

"The player may suffer epileptic attack at any time because while the brain waves is going and it gets to scar, the person may go on convulsion because the scar is already in the brain. 

"Most of the clubsides don't take the medical important, they believe in prayer.  Nobody pray for bad occurrence, but where there's medical personnel and gadgets in the ambulance, we will try our best and live the rest for God. 

"No physical symptoms for cardiac arrest, but the player might have been nursing underlying medical condition like high blood pressure, sugar in the urine, protein in urine, or the person might have had previous head injury that is not severe."

In his address, the Chairman, Ogun State Football Association and a board member, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi said the seminar became necessary for the players and club owners to update them on the new rules for the new 2020/21 League Season. 

Majekodunmi said the football federation has set up a committee to look into league teams owing players salary, with a vow to deregister football clubs owing players salary.