Dr Michel D’Hooghe, Chairman FIFA Medical Committee
Professor Jiri Dvorak, Chairman FIFA Medical Assessments and Research Centre
Chief Executive Officer of the South African Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Dr Danny Jordan
Dr V Ramatheselle, General Medical Officer of the LOC 2010 FIFA World Cup
Heads of FIFA Medical Centers of Excellence in Wits University and the University of Cape Town
Team doctors of all participating countries
Ladies and gentlemen
We are meeting at a time when we are approaching 100 days towards the kickoff of the spectacular tournament. All nations of the world will be travelling to Africa and the focus will be on how we conduct ourselves among the nations of the world. It is our intention and commitment that on the health and medical services front, we will create a safe and healthy environment for all our visitors during that time to enable them to cherish every moment they spend in our continent and South Africa in particular.
I am proud to say to our international visitors that you are participating in this workshop with some of South Africa’s best scientists, researches and practitioners in the field of sports medicine. These experts have at their disposal the best world class facilities and equipment straddling academic centres, public hospitals and private clinics. I cannot imagine that any of the players may need to be flown out of the country to receive appropriate care to save limb, life or career.
From the side of government, we have invested in all sectors as per our commitments in support of a bid to host the tournament. We are further pleased by the fact that our assessment of our state of readiness gives us comfort to be able to say to you today that we are ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
On 8 to 9 February 2010 we met as the health sector to assess progress and identify gaps in our preparations. In addition, I have started a program of personally visiting and inspecting the health facilities at the stadia and the host cities as part of the penultimate assessment of our state of readiness. I have been joined in these visits by the surgeon-general, who heads the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS).
Our main findings are that the stadia are 99 percent ready. It is as you move beyond the precincts of the stadia that we found some shortcomings. Some of the shortcomings are more due to the additional measures we prescribed following our experience of the 2009 FIFA Confederation Cup and some of the observations from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Luanda, Angola.
We wish to extend a message of appreciation to FIFA for consistently supporting our efforts in putting Africa on the world stage among the nations of the world. We have benefited from a series of meetings and workshops held by the FIFA Medical Committee in our country.
In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) added their support by sending consultants and specialists to share with us their expertise and experience in mass gathering. Their insights and advice spanned a broad range of areas. These include mass events and music concerts, visits by the Pope, the Hajj in Mecca and the most recent Olympic and FIFA World Cup competitions.
As a result of the visits, workshops, more detailed inspections by expert teams, sharing of insights and the assessment of additional data, we took a major decision to tighten our cooperation with the South African Military Health Services. The arrangement is aimed at filling any materials or personnel gaps that we may confront during the tournament. Please note that this does not amount to a handover to the South African Military Health Services.
We are not preparing for a state of emergency. We are only deepening our capacity and reducing to the barest minimum any chances that we may be surprised or stretched beyond our capacity as the public and private health sector. We also would like to dissolve as much as possible vertical and horizontal jurisdictional borders amongst national, provincial and local authorities and personnel.
This should tighten our command lines and operational efficiencies. These measures will, in particular, benefit persons who are travelling between the stadia or host cities and their home towns, residential areas or places of accommodation.
Standing before you and today, I am confident to declare to our country, Africa and the world that; the work we have done to date is such that if the tournament were to start tomorrow, all our obligations to the FIFA family, very important people (VIPs), and players would be fully met.
On behalf of the Department of Health, people and the government of South African, I welcome all of you and wish you a successful conference.
“Ke Nako”, Let us begin now to celebrate Africa’s hospitality, safety and beauty.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Health
19 February 2010
