Doctors are undergoing training to prepare for the potential outbreak of dangerous infectious diseases during this year’s World Cup. Medical professionals are gearing up for various infectious threats, such as Ebola, cholera, SARS, tuberculosis, measles, and more, which could be transmitted by over seven million football enthusiasts traveling to the 48-team tournament.
In addition to infectious diseases, healthcare workers are also bracing for the possibility of mass-casualty incidents like shootings. Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, the chief of critical care at Bellevue Hospital in New York, emphasized the vigilance of the entire healthcare system in the city to respond to any such events promptly.
A recent training session brought together 500 healthcare providers from New York and New Jersey over four days to simulate emergency air transport of mock patients with infectious diseases from Toronto, a World Cup host city, to LaGuardia Airport in Queens. These “patients” were then transferred to Bellevue Hospital to evaluate the staff’s proficiency in handling a portable bio-containment unit designed for isolating and transporting highly contagious patients.
Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, the closest Level 1 trauma center to MetLife Stadium hosting several matches, including the World Cup Final, has been actively preparing for the tournament. The event, jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, is set to commence on June 10, with England playing matches in various cities.
Dr. Gregory Sugalski, head of the hospital’s emergency medicine and an Army veteran, reassured sports fans attending the event by highlighting the extensive training and preparedness of the staff at Hackensack Meridian for the World Cup. Healthcare facilities across New Jersey, including St. Michael’s Medical Center, Cooper University Hospital, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, have also undergone thorough training to handle any medical emergencies during the tournament.
The White House has established a FIFA task force, led by Andrew Giuliani, to ensure the safety and security of the largest World Cup in history. Dr. Mukherjee reiterated the paramount importance of keeping healthcare workers safe in dealing with high-consequence infectious diseases, underscoring the ongoing training and focus on safety measures at Bellevue Hospital.