For some UAE residents who spend their weekends playing cricket, football or badminton, knowing the rules of the game is no longer enough. They are learning CPR, or planning to, so that they know what to do if a player collapses in front of them.
The concern has grown after deaths involving sports players in the UAE this year. In June, Mohammed Safwan Shanu, 38, collapsed during a routine cricket match in Dubai. His friends called an ambulance and CPR was performed before he was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. Days later, Anwar Sadiq, 42, collapsed while playing badminton in Dubai and was reported to have suffered a heart attack.
For Crisanto Rey, the reason to learn CPR came much earlier. The 40-year-old Filipino resident lost a close friend in his hometown around 15 years ago after he collapsed while playing badminton.
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“At that time, none of us knew what to do. Later, I kept thinking that maybe he could have been saved if one of us knew CPR,” Rey said.
About five years after his friend’s death, Rey decided to learn the life-saving skill. “I realised that we could come across such a situation at any time. It may be a friend, a colleague or even someone we don’t know,” said Rey, who works with a cleaning company in the UAE and often accompanies colleagues to sporting events.
A few years ago, the situation he had prepared for unfolded in front of him. A player from the opposing team collapsed during a cricket match.
“I clearly don’t remember the year, I believe it was in 2019. I performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. It helped, and the medical team then took over and stabilised him,” he said.
“I was very happy that I knew what to do this time. CPR is a skill that saves lives. I think at least two or three members of every sports team should know it.”
‘Few players in every team should know’
Habshan Hassan, an Al Qusais resident who often plays cricket on weekends, also decided to learn CPR.
“At the grounds where we play, there are trained people provided by the management. But a few members from the team should know CPR as well,” he said.
Hassan’s brother is a doctor and had often spoken at home about how important the first few minutes are when a person collapses.
“Once in a while we hear that a cricketer has collapsed, and we also read in the news about sportsmen passing away on the field,” Hassan said. “I thought about it for some time and then decided to learn CPR.”
Hassan said he has used CPR once, although the case did not develop into a serious medical emergency.
The death of Safwan, a fellow cricketer, also affected him. “When I read about Safwan, I was very disheartened. When we are playing together, we should have people who know what to do if something happens.”
Others are now thinking of taking the same step. Salid K said he and his friends are planning to enrol for CPR training after hearing about players collapsing during sporting activities.
“We keep hearing about players collapsing on the field. We are planning to learn CPR so that if something happens while we are playing, at least some of us will know what to do until medical help arrives,” he said.
What to do when someone collapses
Dr Yogeeswari Vellore Satyanarayanan, specialist cardiology at Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, said a sudden collapse during sport should be treated as a medical emergency, particularly when the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
Someone should immediately call emergency services while another person looks for an automated external defibrillator, or an AED if available. If the person is not breathing normally, CPR should begin while instructions from the emergency dispatcher are followed.
“Early CPR and defibrillation can be critical to maintain blood flow to the brain during these crucial minutes while waiting for emergency medical help to arrive,” said Dr Yogeeswari.
She said AEDs should be easily accessible at sports facilities, gyms, schools, workplaces, airports and shopping centres, with people trained to use them.
Residents who want to learn CPR can enrol in government-supported training programmes. Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services offers community training, including an American Heart Association Heartsaver course, while Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority offers CPR, first aid and AED training to members of the public.
Source: Khaleej Times