“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a player or a coach, a high-ranking FIFA official, or a spectator, or a member of the press. You should receive world-class, internationally benchmarked medical services at every tournament site,” Dr. Ossmann said.
For more than a year, his team has been working to develop a network with local hospitals, identifying local health care resources and building relationships with local specialists to ensure they know exactly who to call in the event of a medical emergency.
The FIFA Medical Program adopted a “centrally governed but locally implemented” governance philosophy, since every tournament site is unique. “You come across all these super interesting approaches and dynamic solutions that various cities have come up with to solve problems,” said Ossmann. Rather than disregard existing plans, Ossmann leveraged both central and local expertise, combining them to develop best practices that could be applied practically.
Emergency Physicians at Every Match
The medical team also developed tactical objectives for tournament sites to implement. One critical objective: having emergency physicians present at all 104 matches.
One will join the team required onsite, along with seven prehospital professionals and one doctor with experience working at professional soccer matches. Each site must also have a Player Medical Center staffed with an emergency physician and nurse, as well as several Medical Aid Stations where spectators can access physician-led care.
Practice Makes Perfect
The athletes aren’t the only people training for the big event. Every medical staff member who will be on site takes part in venue-specific simulations and drills. They are required to complete innovative training modules, which prepare them to locate and utilize equipment that is commonly needed in life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, head injury, or spinal trauma.
Predicting Medical Emergencies
A major part of preparedness is predicting and planning for the many risks ahead.
Mr. Klima
“Approximately two years ago, we started looking at risks from an all-hazards perspective across 16 cities,” Klima shared. “You can imagine; 16 cities in three countries evaluate their risks differently.”
Klima noted that beyond the typical medical scenarios at a large sporting event, there must be considerations that span fan culture, geopolitics, language barriers, and more.
Specialized crowd management approaches include the use of pyrotechnics and potentially severe weather patterns. These preparations make it possible for participants to receive the care they need immediately, without straining local services. Klima said, “We should be treating as many people onsite as possible and really minimize transports to local health care facilities.”
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