Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals launches "Department of Sports Medicine" to promote health and safety of athletes

The primary role of the sports medicine physician in competitive sport is the prevention and treatment of injuries. Sportsmen are constantly exposed to injuries which can be career threatening.

The team physician of Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, who is constantly moving with the team, is the first person who detects and treats the injuries.

The injured player is quickly assessed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon who is specialized in sports medicine and the relevant tests like ultrasound scan and MRI scan are done without any delay. Majority of the injuries are managed with physiotherapy and medicine. A fraction of them require surgery.

Now that many people play in clubs, housing complexes, neighborhood fields and in office premises, they are getting exposed to situations where they can sustain the same injury as professional athletes. Many employees of organizations also get injured during office picnics, get together and team building matches. No one wants to be in out of work and in bed due to an injury. The present sports medicine specialists also cater to the general population and can offer the same expertise to them as they do for the professional athletes.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rupali Basu, President & CEO- Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, said, “We have a comprehensive sports medicine team comprising of team physicians, physiotherapists, surgeons, radiologists and nutritionists. Our sports medicine center has specialists which treat knee, ankle, hip, shoulder, hand and wrist injuries using the state of the art minimally invasive techniques (Arthroscopy). We have also introduced Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, which can be injected into injured ligaments, muscles and tendons, which can help in faster recovery.”