Jersey 2015: Medics on their marks for Island Games marathon

  • Medical professionals preparing for a busy week when the NatWest Island Games begins.
  • Team of volunteers to offer support to over 2,500 visitors.
  • Polyclinic to be set up in Games Village at Howard Davis Park – offering sessions and advice to the public.

WITH Jersey 2015 venues set to host a record number of competitors and spectators during this summer’s NatWest Island Games, a small team of Islanders are preparing themselves for a busy week of action behind the scenes.

Led by Dr Adam Garnett, a group of over 20 medical professionals have volunteered their time for next month’s sporting festival, and with some islands unable to bring their own support staff they are ready to keep a watchful eye over the 2,500-plus visitors from across the globe.

The Island Games medical team will be providing a number of services at Howard Davis Park throughout the week, including:

  • Mass pilates sessions
  • Cardiac screenings
  • Ultrasound demonstrations
  • Free blood pressure and BMI checks
  • Nutritional advice

Based predominantly at a ‘polyclinic’ at Howard Davis Park – the Island Games Village from 27 June to 3 July – the Mercury Medical-sponsored team will offer a range of services for both competitors and the general public, while there will also be helping hands available at a number of venues for members of all 24 Games squads. And with Commonwealth and Paralympic Games experience behind him, Garnett hopes he has covered enough bases for it all to run smoothly.

‘A lot of the hard work is done … it has been keeping us busy,’ he said.

‘What’s great is that there is over 20 people who have volunteered to help, including sports doctors, chiropractors, physios, osteopaths, sports therapists, nurses and students doing reception. We don’t quite know how busy we’re going to be, but we’ll potentially be looking after 2,900 athletes, which is bigger than the Winter Olympics, so we’ve got to offer that service.’

Dr Adam Garnett: “What I’ve tried to do in the Village is to put on a number of sessions for the public.”

Garnett continued: ‘The overall plan is to have a medical polyclinic in the Games Village at Howard Davis Park and run clinics in the morning and late evening, and we’ll have satellite clinics with massage at the tennis and athletics venues, and maybe at football, depending on how we progress throughout the week.

‘What I’ve tried to do in the Village is to put on a number of sessions for the public. We’ll have nutrition sessions and cardio screening plus free blood pressure tests and mass pilates classes on the lawn there. And the Donna Annand Melanoma Charity will also be there offering advice on skin care.

‘What I’ve tried to do in the Village is to put on a number of sessions for the public’

‘Apart from the polyclinic and satellite clinics we’re also going to have doctors and nurses at other venues, and St John Ambulance will be at the risk assessed events like the cycling criterium in town.

‘There’ll also be masseurs at the end of events like the half-marathon to help people if they need it.’

Garnett, who said that education on areas such as doping would also be a focus point for the Games, added: ‘What’s also important is the legacy. We’re going to have trauma bags and massage plinths which we will be able to use after. Whenever we go away to Games we’re always cobbling together kit … now we’ll have proper trauma bags which we’ll hopefully be able to keep hold of, and then teams like Jersey Athletic can use them on a Saturday afternoon.

Mercury Medical are sponsoring the Jersey 2015 medical team and their kit, which Dr Garnett hopes can be used as part of a 'legacy' after the Games

‘Another legacy area is for medical students, who may want to get a project out of it by looking at what the Games does to people. Does it make them fitter? Does it make them eat better? If we try and help them do a summary of that it would be great for their CV.

‘Obviously we’re there to help Team Jersey as well, but my role is to make sure the visiting guests are looked after, covering anything from a cough or a cold to something more serious. Hopefully we’re overdoing it, because that will mean we’ll be able to cover everything we need to do … some of the polyclinics at Olympic events have been pretty overrun.’

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