International medical expert Dr. Peter Seidenberg appointed to support Medical Committee during Special Olympics

Dr. Seidenberg, who specialises in sports medicine for athletes of determination, recently arrived to Abu Dhabi to work alongside a team of trained medical professionals and volunteers. He will be responsible for providing necessary support to the local medical committee in training healthcare professionals and volunteers during the Olympics. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Seidenberg will support in carrying out pre-participation physical examinations to assess athlete’s fitness in addition to overseeing the medical decision-making process related to the athletes’ medical condition in line with approved practices.

Mr. Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director of Emergency & Disaster Management at Department of Health Abu Dhabi commented, “We are pleased to welcome world-renowned sports medicine and family medicine expert Dr. Seidenberg, who has a wealth of experience gleaned from over 19 years working at many international sports events for People of Determination. Dr. Seidenberg’s most recent experience included working at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games.”

Al Nuaimi added, “DoH is taking every step to make this historical event a success by ensuring that it invests all of its resources into better accommodating the visiting athletes and guests. Our fully-fledged medical team will work alongside Dr. Seidenberg to provide comprehensive medical services ranging from emergency medical services to specialised treatment at healthcare facilities.” Dr. Seidenberg holds extensive knowledge and experience in the field, having worked in sports medicine and family at the Penn State Bone and Joint Institute, Sports Medicine, Neuroscience Institute in Pennsylvania in the United State of America. Drawing on close to 20 years’ experience in sports medicine, he participated in several editions of the Special Olympics worldwide.

Medical teams will be operating in local airports, visitors’ accommodations, game venues, as well as at the events taking place as part of the Host Town Programme and the Healthy Athletes’ programme, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The medical committee will be responsible for ensuring a medical team of professionals from health facilities and trained volunteers from across the UAE. The medical teams will provide medical care, emergency medical services, primary care and specialised care at health facilities. In addition, the DoH medical operations centre will operate around the clock throughout the duration of the event.

Taking place from 14-21 March, the 2019 Special Olympics World Games is set to be the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world, with 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing more than 190 countries. The event will be largest single event ever held in the UAE and the first Special Olympics World Games in the Middle East. The World Games will feature 24 officially sanctioned Olympic-style sports in seven sports venues across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.