Over the next few days, thousands of athletes and spectators will fly out to Beijing for what is arguably the world’s greatest sporting case - the Olympics.
Among the exodus is Dr Laurence Gant. But unlike his fellow travellers, Dr Gant will non witness whatsoever great dissipated feats.
In fact, he has not got a just the ticket for a single event during his five-night last out in the Chinese capital.
Instead he volition be outgo his time visiting hospitals and clinics, in a fact-finding commission for the 2012 games.
Health facilities
Dr Gant is clinical director for general and emergency medicine at the Homerton Hospital in Hackney, east London - the designated Olympic hospital in 2012.
He aforesaid the Beijing games would help staff prepare.
“What we are sledding out to do is to learn,” he said.
“This is our last opportunity to travel to a summer games before London 2012 itself.
“We are going to learn about the issues around providing healthcare for athletes and spectators in a live summer games.”
He said there was no substitute for seeing how many patients came through hospitals and clinics and what kind of assist they needful during an Olympics.
But Dr Gant aforementioned there would be no time to enjoy any sport.
“I am just going to see the medical side of it.
“It is a case of fly in, work round sightedness how the hospitals ar set up, how the care for the athletes in the villages is set up and how the care for the spectators is set up.
“Then we tush bring all of our experiences in concert and collate them and make sure that the things we identify we can resolve before London 2012 happens.”
There were around 5% more than presentations to hospital exigency departments in Sydney than usual during the Olympic Games of 2000.
Gearing up
Dr John Coakley, medical director at the Homerton, aforesaid plans were already in hand to improve and increase local services to prevent them being swamped by the expected inflow of visitors.
Medical clinics will be set up at the Olympic village, clean venues and hotels where the competitors are staying.
The Homerton, along with its partners - the nearby Whipps Cross, University College London Hospital, Barts and the Royal London NHS Trust, Newham University Hospital and Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust, volition be upgraded to cope with demand.
A polyclinic, which provides GP care and other diagnostic services more than usually launch in a hospital, will also be set up to provide care to people attendance the Olympics - only will remain to give care to the local community after the games have ended.
Sporting spur
Dr Coakley said he hoped the Olympics would encourage members of the public to take up sport - and keep active.
Dame Kelly Holmes feels the Olympics could boost health
That is particularly important in Hackney, where corpulency and health problem are big problems, he stressed.
“I think we see people playing tennis every time Wimbledon is on, but what we fail to do is prolong that enthusiasm.
“People get concerned for a while. What we need to do after the Olympics is to secure that interest is sustained.
“Everyone will be getting into the swimming pool, or cycling, or jogging bout the track during the Olympics, or a short-time afterwards only we demand to assure that is sustained.
“It is about setting real achievable goals for people and accepting the idea that most people who compete are non going to win the 100m.
“If you can beget the schools, local community and parents interested you will crack up a