PUTTING HEALTH FIRST

The Jordan Olympic Committee’s responsibilities are far reaching as the leading organisation for sport in the Kingdom with 32 Federations under its wing.

But one federation in particular has become prominent over the past few years with the onset of more professionalism within sport creating higher performance levels, but ultimately more complex injuries.

The Jordan Medical Federation is based in Al Hussein Sports City with a mandate to look after sport, literally, and their job is never ending.

“We provide care to our athletes round the clock,” said Dr. Samir Qamo, Secretary General.

“The federation was established in 1988 to provide the necessary medical services for all our sports federations. Our general assembly contains different types of doctors from different forms of the medical field working as volunteers to meet the needs of the modern day athlete.

“They all have a background about sport and the possible injuries our athletes may face so they know how to deal with each one.”

Dr Samir said that the federation has two main areas of responsibility. The first to create awareness about possible sports injuries that could happen to athletes and how to avoid them and the second to provide medical care to delegations participating overseas.

“You are always learning when it comes to the medical profession,” said Dr Samir. “So our members are constantly refreshing their knowledge and expertise in the sports field through workshops and courses. Our philosophy is to ensure that our doctors and physiotherapists are at the forefront of any medical developments so that our athletes have the very best care.”

The federation’s facility in Sports City is open to anyone using the facility and as well as treating injuries, it provides services like blood pressure tests and physiotherapy.

Dr. Samir said that the Federation is introducing monthly health checks for all national team athletes, especially the young, following the death of young Jordanian footballer Kosay Al Khawleda, 20, in 2013 during a match.

That sparked His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah to launch an initiative to better educate the sporting community on the danger signs, and the federation took note.

“We can do regular heart and abdominal examinations to ensure everything is OK and if not, the athlete can be referred to a specialist immediately before a problem occurs.”

Developments continue to happen at a fast pace and together with the Crown Prince’s directive and JOC support, there are plans for a new medical sports centre that can better cope with the demands of the modern day athlete.

It is fair to say that our athletes have probably never been fitter, but thankfully they have never been better cared for during and away from their competitions.