Following the sad reports of the demise of Chineme Martins of Nasarwa United during a match with Katsina United just before halfway the play, I have researched and discovered that late Martins had encountered a cardiac arrest in the field.
Wikipedia (the free Encyclopedia) explains cardiac arrest to be a sudden loss of blood flow resulting from the failure of the heart to pump effectively. Signs of such an arrest include loss of consciousness and abnormal or absent breathing.
Cardiac arrest does not mean death. It is a period or phase where the flow of blood is obstructed, thereby resulting to unconsciousness.
There are effective ways the life of Martins could have been saved, that is if the medics knew their job so well and if only the Peugeot 406 ambulance didn’t have to be a push-to-start one.
WOULD MARTINS HAVE SURVIVED THE ARREST?
Yes, if the right measures were taken instead of the wrong ones.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
1. Martins suffered a cardiac arrest. This means that there was shortage or complete blockage of blood flow.
2. Martins was not dead while some people held his mouth open, while some others moved parts of his body (with the notion of keeping him conscious).
3. Martins hoped to survive the phase which he unfortunately did not get the exact kind of support he needed to survive.
4. The right approach gives a positive result while a wrong approach gives a negative result. If the medics did what they should, Martins would survive. If the ambulance did not have to be pushed-to-start, Martins would survive.
5. The departure of Martins even after the intervention of the medics and ambulance shows that there is the lack of concrete knowledge and professionalism in the field.
WHERE THE MEDICS AND AMBULANCE FAILED:
1. Not applying oxygen to support the victim’s chance of survival
2. Not doing a hands-only CPR (chest compression) to support the victim’s heart blood pumping stamina
3. Calling out to a woefully unreliable ambulance to convey the victim to the hospital. It was witnessed that the car had to be pushed-to-start while the victim gave up the struggle gradually.
4. Making the wrong moves where right and effective measures should have been taken.
5. Not being professional-enough for cases of emergency in the field.
THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE:
1. A call to a fit hospital for an emergency check
2. While a hands-only CPR is being done – this means chest compressions, where hands are placed on the left side of the chest and pressure applied. This mimic the heart’s pumping action resulting to continued flow of blood to the victim’s brain.
3. Application of oxygen to support victim’s struggle with breathe.
4. Or the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator) – a device that can automatically detect when a shock to the heart is needed and safely deliver it.
The above steps could have doubled or even tripled the victim’s chance of survival.
The player was rushed to the hospital in a press crew vehicle after the ambulance failed, after late Martins gave up the ghost.
See some comments below:
It is sad that Nasarawa United and the state at large had to lose a great man and an icon. It is my prayer that the soul of the departed rests in God’s divine place.
Written by: PISHIKENI DANIEL
