Winter Universiade 2019 medical specialists hold seminar with Summer Universiade colleagues

The physicians who worked at the Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan shared their experience with their Krasnoyarsk colleagues during a seminar titled “Organisation of Medical and Sanitary and Epidemiological Support in the Period of Holding Winter Universiade 2019.”

The working meeting entered around the discussion of how medical specialists could best ensure athletes’ health during the Winter Universiade 2019. Dmitry Lopushov, Head of Medical and Sanitary and Epidemiological Support Division of the Directorate of the Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan, said that protecting the health of athletes, coaches, officials and fans at a major event starts immediately after their planes land.

“A specialist from Rospotrebnadzor’s sanitary and quarantine service is the first one to come on board of an aircraft that has arrived from abroad,” Mr. Lopushov said. “The specialist then carries out short examination of the passengers and can instantly detect sick persons among them.

“Additionally, remote thermometry devices are installed at the entrance to the airport,” Mr. Lopushov added. “These devices measure a person’s temperature from a distance. If there is fever, the sick person is isolated and given medical assistance, so spreading of the infection is prevented”.

 The medical services are set to be second to none in the heart of Siberia during Winter Universiade 2019

Another sphere of the healthcare specialists’ work at large-scale international events is vaccination for the team comprising the Winter Universiade 2019 organising committee.

Maxim Suvorov, Head of Medical Care Department of the Directorate of the Games, said that the Krasnoyarsk staff would undergo preventive measures.“Winter Universiade 2019 venues staff, as well as representatives of the companies who will be rendering services to the participants and guests of the Games, will undergo medical examination and vaccination,” Mr. Suvorov said. “In regards the volunteers, awareness-raising work will be carried out. No one will be coerced into vaccination, but it will be explained to them that they are responsible not only for their own health, but for the condition of the persons they communicate with.”

In this final year leading up to Krasnoyarsk’s hosting of the Winter Universiade, physicians will work out the best ways to provide athlete assistance during the test competitions in the lead-up to the 2019 event. Mobile medical teams will practice urgent response to emergency situations, will work through evacuation of injured persons from hard-to-access competition sites.

Winter Universiade 2019 medical workers will be there to monitor the health of athletes, representatives of foreign delegations and other accredited client groups during the competitions.

In 2018, Krasnoyarsk will host eight Winter Universiade test events, including the FISU Forum and winter sports competitions to ensure the event staff and venue readiness is at the absolute highest standard. The first test event of 2018 will be the “Tzimik Memorial,” the Russian Alpine Skiing Championship set to take place from the 4-10 March.

Alexey Smirnov, Deputy Head of the Medical and Sanitary and Epidemiological Support Department of the Direсtorate of Universiade 2013, said taking into consideration all the details was vital to this work.

“Analyzing our colleagues’ preparations for the Winter Universiade 2019, we understand that they are working in the right direction,” Mr. Smirnov said. “I believe there will be no emergency situations or drawbacks.”