High-profile Lankan medical panel to monitor LPL | Daily News

High-profile Lankan medical panel to monitor LPL

Player luggage are disinfected on arrival. (Picture by courtesy SLC)
Player luggage are disinfected on arrival. (Picture by courtesy SLC)

A high-profile Sri Lankan medical panel in collaboration with officials of Sri Lanka Army will monitor the Lanka Premier League T20 Cricket Tournament, which begins on Thursday in Hambantota.

There will be as many as five Health Ministry doctors designated for each franchise team in the bio-secure bubble.

In addition, there will be two doctors from Sri Lanka Army to oversee the others while Dr. Daminda Attanayake from the Ministry of Sports will coordinate the Medical Team.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army will maintain the security of the bio-secure bubble, with the inner-ring maintained by the Army Commandos.

The bio-secure bubble in operation at the inaugural LPL is implemented with strict and stringent health guidelines specified by the Ministry of Health.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has established the highest standards of health measures to ensure that the LPL, 2020 is conducted successfully ensuring the safety of players and officials taking part in the tournament.

“The bio-secure bubble in place at the LPL premises is a system followed by high-profile sporting leagues across the world and also by major bilateral cricketing series played by ICC member countries,’’ according to Professor Arjuna de Silva, Event Medical Director of the LPL.

“The safety of the players and the country is always of paramount importance for the SLC. The Ministry of Health and the LPL Medical Team is working hard to bring cricket back to the Sri Lankan public.”

According to the system in place, each participating player will have to enter the country with two negative PCR tests 72 hours apart, and then has to undergo another PCR test on arrival.

They will undergo a minimum of 10 PCR tests during the entirety of the tournament while the officials functioning at the tournament will also undergo a series of PCR tests.

In case a player or an official of the LPL are tested positive, the person will be transfered for treatment immediately at a designated Intermediate Health Care Facility pre-approved by the Ministry of Health.

In fact, this system was implemented successfully as two positive players; Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan) and Ravinderpal Singh (Canada) were identified on their arrival through PCR tests thanks to the well laid out bio-secure bubble of the LPL.

In addition, the system in place for the LPL is monitored by the Regional Directors of Health Services of the Hambantota and Ratnapura Districts and their respective teams while SLC is in constant touch with the Health Authorities.