LMC not enforcing medical protocol in stadiums, says Sunshine Stars team doctor

Babatunde Akinbinu, Sunshine Stars team doctor, says the League Management Company (LMC) is not enforcing the medical rules stipulated in the framework for clubs.

Akinbinu, who is also a member of the NFF medical committee, stated this during an Instagram Live session with TheCable.

The session which held on Saturday was dedicated to the topic of ‘sudden cardiac arrest in football’.

Nigerian football has had its fair share of players suddenly dropping dead on the pitch as a result of heart failure.

The most recent was the case of Nassarawa United’s Chineme Martins who died during an NPFL game in March 2020.

The NFF committee constituted to investigate the incident discovered that the club had no team doctor and the ill-equipped ambulance at the stadium failed to work.

The committee established that Nassarawa United broke several articles in the NPFL’s rules and medical framework.

Akinbinu said although NPFL clubs have done better since the incident, the football administrators are failing to enforce the laws.

“There’s been noticeable changes in the way medical matters are handled in the league since Chineme Martins demise. A few clubs have now contacted medical doctors to play full or part-time for their footballers,” he said.

“So there have been some baby steps, but have there been some major steps outlined in the NPFL framework? Certainly, maybe not.

“The parameters for medical licensing are clear in the NPFL framework; they are in the NPFL rules. The same thing is mirrored in the NWFL too. It is just for clubs and the league organisers to decide to follow the rules to the letter.

“Things like medical protocol, medical insurance and all that concerns club licensing as regards to medical facilities should be enforced to the letter.

“If LMC and NFF can ensure that all teams obey the rule as stipulated in their frameworks, then things will improve.”