Sports medicine units in hospitals

Rasika Somarathna

The Government is planning to establish sports medicine units in all major hospitals in the country. The Sports Medicine Unit’s aim is to support athletes to reach and maintain their optimum physical health.

This can mean a fast response to minimise damage from traumatic injury, or a timely diagnosis and design of a personal rehabilitation program to avoid future sports injuries and musculo-skeletal problems. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said that the first two sports medicine units will be established in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa during the next two months a Ministry spokesman said.

The Minister had noted the above at a ceremony organised to felicitate athletes from Polonnaruwa district who excelled during the National sports festival.

The Minister also told the ceremony that such units would lend an impetus to build the overall capacity of both sportsmen and women. It would also help to enhance Sri Lanka’s medal prospects during international competitions, he had added. The Minister had also highlighted Sri Lanka’s inability to win a medal during the recently concluded Asian games.