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SINGAPORE : Even before the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) kick off, some 40 patients have been treated over a period of four days at the Youth Olympic Village's medical centre.
Their ailments ranged from sprains to respiratory problems.
The 24-hour medical centre will serve the 5,000 athletes and officials.
Providing support are 2,600 medical personnel from the public and private healthcare sectors, including those from the Singapore Armed Forces and non-governmental organisations such as the Singapore Red Cross and the St John Ambulance Service.
They are all volunteers - even the students from Nanyang Polytechnic who are manning the pharmacy.
The medical centre comes with fully-equipped medical facilities such as a laboratory and diagnostic and counselling services.
Staff here can also handle emergency treatments like resuscitation and trauma injuries.
While touring the facilities, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had a go at a cold air compression system to treat ankle injuries, a common ailment for sportsmen.
Elaine Gomez, sports physiotherapist, Youth Olympic Village, Medical Centre, said: "All the athletes are housed within the Village, and we will try as far as possible to provide all the requirements within this one setting, and to minimise them having to move around to different hospitals and different clinics to receive their treatment".
Mr Khaw noted that Singaporeans have a lot to be proud of in hosting the YOG.
He said: "This is the very first YOG. Just like the Olympics started in Greece and history will always mark that, so for the YOG, where was it held? Singapore!"
He added: "And imagine the whole world decided that yes, the very first YOG, let us hold in in Singapore. I think there is great significance there. They could have chosen many other countries much bigger...than Singapore, yet they picked Singapore, and I think that is what we should appreciate. So I think let us put our best foot forward, let us impress our visitors."
Mr Khaw also said that hosting an international sporting event would also help to open pathways for Singaporeans to achieve a greater diversity of success.
He said: "In recent years, we have begun to pay a lot more attention (to sports) and that is why we are investing in a big way in the Sports Hub, but that is just the hardware, the whole ecosystem, the software, how Singaporeans look at sports.
"If we have children who want to be a great sports person, do we support the child? Do we support your relatives who are like that? Your nephews, your nieces? So those cultural aspects will take a longer time, and I hope YOG will inspire.
"Among the youths, I think they have their own ideals; some are good in sports, some are good in arts and different pathways to achieving their dreams, and I think as a society, we must try our best to support that. But in a practical way."
The medical facility at the Village is the nerve centre for all the healthcare requirements at the Games. Outside of the Village, at the various competition venues, one medical team will be deployed for each event. The team includes one doctor, two nurses and paramedics. For competitions with an extended field of play like a triathlon, there will be more medical teams in support of it.
Mr Khaw also gave his take on the availability of condoms at the medical centre - a requirement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The condoms are provided by UNAIDS - the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS.
Mr Khaw said: "I read it as an IOC requirement, so we as host country, we have to meet that...It is a realistic way of handling this issue and we provide them but not in an obvious way." - CNA/ms
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