Medical team ready for action

Dr. Peter Mancao, the medical director for the Cobra IronMan 70.3 Philippines, said everything’s set for this Sunday’s race.

Mancao said medical response teams are ready for the international triathlon event set to start and end at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa.

“It’s all systems go for us,” said Mancao. “Everything’s set up and ready for deployment. We’re prepared for the worst, more prepared than last year.”

The Emergency Response Unit Foundation (ERUF), Philippine National Red Cross (PRC), All-Terrain Medical Relief Operations (AMRO), Chong-Hua Hospital, ACERT of Mandaue City and TREAT of Talisay City will all be ready to man the race routes.

“Let’s just hope and pray that what happened last year won’t happen again,” said Mancao.

Last year’s race was marred with the death of a participant Ramon Igaña Jr., who died of acute pulmonary embolism. He was on the bike stage and cruising through the South Coastal Road in Talsiay City when he lost consciousness and fell from his bike.

“We looked deeper into the problems that occurred last year and found not just solutions but also ways for prevention so that we can assure a safe race for all participants,” said. Dr. Mancao, who monitored the Tabuelan Triathlon last June to familiarize himself with a triathlon.

Mancao said it’s an advantage that he is handling the medical side of the race since they are more familiar with the roads of Cebu. This means they know where problems may arise along the route.

Among the problems to watch out for, according to Mancao, are the pedestrians crossing the route and the risk of being bitten by stray dogs. There’s also the problem of uneven roads that may lead to nasty crashes in the bike stage.

He also said there are some participants who refuse to be given first aide because it may affect their official times. Most of these are foreigners, who are aiming to improve their personal records.

“We are coordinating with the Philippine National Police and other local authorities for smooth communication during the race so we can quickly respond to accidents,” said Mancao.

However, Mancao said deaths occurring during the event are beyond their control because it is impossible to monitor the health status of all participants joining the race. He said even the fittest triathlete is at risk for an accident. So he is reminding all participants to make sure they are physically prepared for a triathlon race. He said one should reconsider joining if he or she is experiencing something that needs immediate medical attention.

“They don’t have to force themselves to race. They could endanger themselves for that,” said Mancao /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL