Sports Medicine in Nghe An: Lack of professionalism

(Baonghean) - A leader of Nghe An Sports Training and Coaching Center affirmed: With the current state of sports medicine, it is difficult for us to have talented athletes who achieve high results.

“Saving” an athlete's career

33 years old, Dr. Tran Ngoc Manh has worked for 7 years at Song Lam Nghe An Football Club. His daily job is to follow the team closely to check the diet, until the players go on the field to prepare training conditions, conduct physical examinations and provide physical plans; ready to give first aid and massage to athletes when collisions or injuries occur.

Competition and high intensity training often cause injuries. Photo: Duc Chuyen

According to Dr. Tran Ngoc Manh: Injuries to soccer players are quite diverse, but the most common are ankle sprains, cramps, muscle strains, muscle tears, bone and joint pain. More serious injuries include ligament ruptures, fractures of the fibula, discs, menisci, cartilage, and even traumatic brain injuries... In mild cases, sports doctors can perform first aid and treatment on the spot; in severe cases, treatment must be at a general or specialized hospital.

At Song Lam Nghe An Football Club, minor injuries often occur due to poor training and competition ground conditions. For serious and difficult injuries, after examination, players will be arranged to be treated at the Sports Hospital (Hanoi) or abroad. For example, players Manh Hung and The Nhat both had to go to the Sports Hospital to treat torn ligaments or coach Duc Thang had to go to Singapore for surgery...

Doctor Tran Ngoc Manh added: "There are injuries that seem simple at first glance, but are actually very serious and vice versa. Many times, doctors at regular hospitals cannot see them, forcing them to rely on sports specialists at the National Training Center."

For complex injuries, normal people can be treated at a regular hospital, but for top athletes, they must go to a highly specialized sports doctor for treatment. Many talented Vietnamese athletes, after surgery at a regular hospital, can walk and run normally but cannot compete again, or compete at a high level. Striker Tran Minh Chien - a "killer" of the golden generation of Vietnamese football, after many surgeries for injuries in the country, still cannot compete again and had to end his career at the age of 22.

According to Dr. Tran Ngoc Manh: In Vietnam, sports medicine is still new and is developing rapidly. If a few years ago (2010), Golden Ball winner Le Cong Vinh had to sell his supercar to get money to go to Portugal to have surgery for a torn knee ligament, in order to save his career in 2010, then until now, such injuries can be treated well in Vietnam. However, the recovery process still depends on the will and determination of the athletes, as well as the compliance with the treatment regimen of the doctors.

Vast void

In the world, although sports teams have long used specialist doctors, it was not until the end of the 20th century that sports medicine became a separate field in health care. In many developed countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, Norway or Italy, sports medicine has become a major specialty in medical training; many other countries have established research institutes to develop human qualities, select and improve athlete performance.

In Vietnam, sports medicine has only begun to develop in recent years when the Sports Hospital was established (in 2006) or Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports (Tu Son) coordinated with medical universities to include sports medicine in the official training program.

However, in Vietnam, sports doctors only specialize in the field of treatment while this is only a very small part of sports medicine; sports coaches are only equipped with rudimentary knowledge of psychology and nutrition suitable for the physical condition of athletes.

Doctor Tran Ngoc Manh takes care of an injured player. Photo: Duc Chuyen

In Nghe An alone, sports medicine is still a huge gap. Doctor Tran Ngoc Manh admitted: “Not only in Nghe An but almost the whole of Vietnam does not have a true sports doctor. All have only attended short-term courses in the country or abroad. To receive formal training, one must study abroad...”.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Trung - Deputy Director of Nghe An Sports Training Center said: "In the 19 training and coaching departments of the center, athletes often suffer injuries during training and competition. However, the center currently only has 2 medical staff, including 1 military doctor who is about to retire. Due to the lack of equipment, medical staff can only provide first aid and treat simple injuries on the spot."

Sports medicine is not simply about treating injuries but also about researching potential, nutritional supplements, using foods and drugs to increase endurance, strength... Mr. Nguyen Hoang Trung affirmed: "In particular, the issue of nutrition and training regimens are being based on subjective experience, lacking science. With the current state of sports medicine, it is difficult for us to have talented athletes who achieve high results. Many talented athletes are injured and not detected and treated early, leading to their decline. Many athletes are not studied for their motor qualities and musculoskeletal system, so they are not arranged for training and nutrition regimens to develop."

Thanh Son