A trip to the cricket stadium hardly poses the kind of threat visiting a football stadium or a motorsport track does. No rowdy drunk fans, no car debris flying into the stand. But, as tragedies in those two sports have shown, it's better to be safe than sorry.
In a novel gesture, aimed primarily at the fans, the Indian Premier League has asked individual franchises to tie up with prominent hospitals in their cities and provide emergency medical attention free of cost to all those coming to see the action.
For the matches in Hyderabad, the Deccan Chargers management has tied up with Apollo Hospital and twenty emergency medical physicians are strategically placed across the stadium, with walky-talkies, to provide attention to all fans in need.
"Fans pay huge sums of money to come and see matches, it would be a travesty if no emergency medical plan is in place for those who need help," Bevin D'Silva, head of the emergency medical staff in Hyderabad, told the Hindustan Times.
On what sort of medical attention fans normally require during an IPL match, D'Silva said, “Since the summers are now underway, the most frequent case we get is that of people dehydrating. Some fans also faint and we stretcher them to our emergency room located in the main pavilion. In addition to that, fans who trip and get bruises and lacerations are also given due attention.”
{{/usCountry}}On what sort of medical attention fans normally require during an IPL match, D'Silva said, “Since the summers are now underway, the most frequent case we get is that of people dehydrating. Some fans also faint and we stretcher them to our emergency room located in the main pavilion. In addition to that, fans who trip and get bruises and lacerations are also given due attention.”
{{/usCountry}}The medics also treat members of the IPL teams from time to time.
“The teams have physiotherapists, who look after strains and injuries. But, they are not authorised to prescribe drugs, and when the situation arises when players need to be given medicines, we step in and write prescriptions.
“We also look after any medical conditions that are over and above the physio's area of expertise,” D'Silva added.