Education for Czech doctors

Emergency aid was the focal point at a workshop organised in the Czech Republic under the UEFA Football Doctor Education Programme (FDEP), which encourages doctors in football throughout Europe to exchange vital medical information and expertise.

Doctors from all Czech first- and second-division clubs, and national teams, were invited to the event in Prague, along with two physiotherapists and members of the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) medical committee. The workshop was led by Petr Čechal, the Czech national women's team doctor.

Practical sessions focused on, among other things, the evacuation of players with spinal injuries from the field, as well as first aid using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the event of a cardiac-related incident. Discussions took place about the sudden death of athletes, as well as the treatment of concussion and head injuries, diabetes, epilepsy and allergic reactions. Delegates also looked at UEFA's comprehensive anti-doping campaign.

The FDEP programme and its related national courses across Europe are leading to the transmission of essential know-how throughout the European sports medical community. Programme content is being filtered down through the member associations through the staging of FDEP courses at national level.

Themes include injury diagnosis and treatment, on-field medical emergencies, roles and responsibilities of the football doctor, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, psychology, football nutrition and the campaign to eliminate doping from the game. The FDEP's content has been developed and compiled in collaboration with the UEFA Medical Committee and sports medicine experts.