2011 SU Update: Universiade Clinic to open on August 1st

SHENZHEN – The polyclinic in the Universiade Athletes’ Village in the Longgang District is scheduled to start operations on August 1st.

Five drills will be held to test the functions of the clinic before the operation, according to Nie Guohui, vice president of Shenzhen No. 2 People’s Hospital.

The hospital will provide most of the 265 medical staff for the clinic, who are expected to serve more than 20,000 people during the Games, including athletes, coaches, team officials, volunteers and other staff.

All the medical staff are able to speak English after training, Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday. “Volunteers will offer translation services for patients who speak other languages like Spanish and French”, said Nie.

The three-floor clinic has 17 departments, which makes it twice the size of the clinic for the 2009 Universiade in Serbia, and will be open 24 hours a day and offer free service to all accredited people during the Games. Besides, the clinic will also provide an acupuncture and massage service, which is expected to receive 200 people a day.

The director of the clinic, Guo, said that the clinic could handle illnesses common to athletes. When there was a case beyond the clinic’s capacity, the five stand-by ambulances would send the patients to No. 2 People’s Hospital within 20 minutes.

“Unlike in hospitals, there would not be a long queue in the fully equipped clinic during the Games,” said Guo.

All medicine needed for the Games has been well stored and will go through inspection by the city’s drug administration before being sent to the clinic, the paper said.

In addition, the FISU Medical Committee will set up a command center in the Village, which will operate around the clock in charge of medical care, public sanitation and emergency response, said Dr. Rink, the committee chair during his visit to the city last month. “Besides the Athletes’ Village, each venue will have two medical stations staffed by ambulance drivers, physicians, nurses and stretcher bearers”, Rink said.

Medical teams will be on hand for the opening and closing ceremonies. There will be a total of 220 ambulances, according to the organizing committee. Two helicopters will be available for unusual injuries. In addition, 13 hospitals have been designated to serve the Games, nine of which are fully equipped.

(Source: Shenzhen OC)