Under the patronage of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, and in the presence of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, the 1st Sports Cardiology Congress commenced on Thursday. Organised by the Ministry of Health and Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Specialist Cardiac Centre in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, the four-day event will conclude on December 4, 2021.
In his key remarks, HH Shaikh Nasser affirmed that the 1st Sports Cardiology Congress which is being organised for the first time at the regional level embodies the health care being extended to the citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain in line with the visions of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain to provide the best health care to citizens as they are the key pillars of the development march of Bahrain.
He also indicated the support and backing of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Prime Minister and HRH’s sincere keenness to closely follow-up to the care provided to all citizens and residents based on the visions of HM the King.
Furthermore, HH Shaikh Nasser said that that Kingdom of Bahrain is paying close attention to practicing sports in its plans and progammes, stating that this has contributed to achieving many accomplishments in team and individual sports in the past period as well as encouraging people to practice sports and make it a lifestyle.
His Highness pointed out that recent years have witnessed the emergence of deaths during exercises, which indicates the existence of incorrect practices before, during or after exercising, in addition to the possibility of medical reasons that may lead to an impact on heart health.
“Therefore, this Congress comes to diagnose this issue in a clear scientific and academic manner, and develop appropriate solutions, provided that its outputs and recommendations are transformed into a work programme, in an effort to shape a sports community that is fully aware of the correct methods of practicing sports.
Moreover, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa valued the efforts of the Ministry of Health, the Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Specialist Cardiac Centre, and the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports to organise this Congress and the national awareness campaign that preceded it entitled “The Sports Pulse”, looking forward to coming up with recommendations and results.
For her part, HE Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh, Minister of Health, expressed her sincere thanks and appreciation to HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa for the care and support that His Highness has given since the decision to form the committee concerned with studying the causes of deaths in walkways and gymnasiums, leading to the convening of this Congress which accompanied an extensive awareness campaign to raise awareness of the correct methods of exercising and maintaining heart health under the theme “The Sports Pulse”.
HE the Minister of Health said that the Sports Cardiology Congress is a clear indication of the care and attention that the health sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain enjoys from HM the King, and the esteemed Government headed by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, noting that the wise leadership and the esteemed Government always prioritise the health of the citizens.
For his part, Dr Adel Khalifa, the Congress President Head of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Department at the Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Specialist Cardiac Centre said that the issue of deaths among sports practitioners in walkways and gyms receives great attention from HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and this was evident with the decision to form a committee to study the causes and find solutions to reduce them in 2019.
He said that the most prominent recommendations of the aforementioned committee were based on the importance of following the basics and guidelines of health and safety before exercising, and the necessity of conducting periodic medical examinations to identify the health history in advance, as well as identifying the appropriate physical load for each person to prevent and reduce any potential risks.