Caf donates cardiac arrest detection machine to Ghana FA

Dec 11, 2012 8:23:00 AM

The continent’s football governing body also donated a complete medical emergency board, cervical colour and resuscitation kits to the west African FA

The Confederation of African Football has donated medical equipment meant for the detection of possible cardiac arrest in players to the Ghana Football Association.

The medical kit includes an electrical cardioverter shock machine with an external defibrillator (AED) which is able to reverse sudden cardiac arrest.

The equipment also includes a medical life emergency kit containing various key items considered essential for life support and other treats faced by professional athletes.

The donation from CAF also includes a complete medical emergency board, cervical colour and resuscitation kits.

The donation comes to boost the number of AEDs owned by the GFA to five as the federation had already bought four AEDs to help ease the risk of players dying after collapsing on the pitch.

GFA medical committee member Dr. Prince Pambo, who was in Yaounde for the recent CAF cardiac medical seminar says the equipment, will help boost the health of footballers in the country.

"This is a welcome addition to what we already have in the country. This will go a long way in saving the lives of footballers who might have serious cardiac and other health-related issues when they are playing," Pambo said.

"We have had incidents in this country that led to the deaths of players. The intervention by CAF is timely and must encourage clubs to acquire some of these things to boost the health of their players."

There have been incidents of players collapsing on the pitch.

Last month 24-year-old Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba was left fighting for his life after collapsing during the first half of FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham this year.

He survived after paramedics were able to offer him first aid using sophisticated medical equipment right on the pitch.

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