Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/860911
18 Opinion maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 AUGUST 2017 T he 1936 Berlin Olympics was supposed to be a show of Nazism and authoritative power. The headlines preceding the games were more focused on the political meaning, rather than the athletes. So when Jesse Owens, an African-American, sprinted to victory it dampened proceedings for the organisers. Owens may have grabbed the medals and the front and back pages of the newspapers, but there were others. Mack Robinson won the 200-metre dash and Archie Williams won the 400-metre race. Who would've said that, just a few years later, they'd be fighting the same people that watched them perform in those games. It was arguably a defining moment, because for the first time in modern history sport became more than games. It showed compassion and human spirit and, in those times, it was a political expression in itself. The friendship which was born during those games between Jesse Owens and his German rival, Carl Ludwig Long, showed that the human element is beyond political propaganda. In today's world, sport is still capable of sending strong messages. These messages are effective not because they are intentional, but because of the reality of our societies. Take the Premier League in England, which started two days ago. The sport is a beautiful example of how different people from all corners of the world can come together and build something magical. Of course, there's the business-end of football, with huge transfer fees, salaries and TV rights bungled up. But it's also individual stories which are nothing short of amazing. Stoke City striker, Saido Berahino, had to flee his home country in Burundi as a child and seek political asylum in the UK. He has repeatedly credited football for helping him integrate in British life. Christian Benteke, another star who'll be on our television on Saturday afternoons, was born in Congo. His parents fled violence and settled in Liege. Likewise, Luka Modric fled the Balkan War in 1992 and was a refugee. Former World Cup winner and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, Arsenal midfielder Taulant Xhaka and Bayern Munich star David Alaba were all born shortly after their parents left their home countries due to conflict. The stories of famous and less-famous football stars whose parents were refugees, or who were refugees themselves, are relatively common. The irony of it all is that those who spew hate towards people who escape conflict and violence are among those people who cheer on the same people when they become football stars. The paradoxical nature of this behaviour is beyond me. Sport has always been a shining example of what we can achieve as humans. Beyond the athletic aspect, there is also a deep understanding that people come together for a common goal, that what we can contribute is more important than where we came from or the colour of our skin. I understand that geopolitics is a complicated business. In no way can one simplify a complicated and fragmented Middle East situation into a soundbite. However there's an inherent and quiet message to be derived from sport. It seems people are dehumanised as refugees, seen as unwanted and unloved by society. That is until they sign a contract with a top football club and they become successful. Suddenly, they are cherished and loved by all. They become icons. We buy their name on our football shirts, for 70 euros a pop. But isn't that person intrinsically the same? Jesse Owens, in 1936, showed the world that race differentiation is simply something concocted in our minds. As football returns to our screens 80 years on from those Olympic games, the contradictions in the beliefs of some people among us still rings true. Evarist Bartolo is Minister of Education and Employment The story you don't know about Evarist Bartolo S troke is one of the main causes of adult disability, with an estimated 700 people suffering from a stroke in Malta every year. Stroke, or a brain attack as it is sometimes referred to, involves vascular or blood vessel damage in a particular area of the brain, leading to brain cell damage. This occurs when a blood vessel is blocked by a clot or when haemorrhage occurs in the brain and results in diminished movements, spasms, speech problems and other forms of disability. An essential aspect in management of stroke is surely prevention. Eating well, not smoking, not drinking in excess, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and exercising regularly all help reduce the risk. However, another factor which determines the outcome of a stroke, is the timeliness in which medical attention is sought. By being aware of the symptoms, we can all help save lives, and minimize the negative effects on members of our community. Symptoms can include slurred speech, a dropping face or an inability to lift one's arms – emergency 112 should be contacted immediately. Acute care across the Maltese Islands is predominantly given at Mater Dei Hospital or VGH Gozo General Hospital. Here patients are stabilized and assessed. Critical decisions focus on the need for intubation, blood pressure control, and determination of benefit of thrombolytic intervention. Medical developments have now made it possible to dissolve blood clots in the early stages to limit the damage incurred by the brain. From here, patients will need intensive rehabilitation to be able to re-learn certain skills used in day to day life. Up until now much of this care was being given at Mater Dei and in General Wards at VGH Karin Grech Hospital, which although of a good quality, fell short on many accounts, many of which have long been felt by professionals across the Maltese healthcare system. Professionals at Mater Dei often struggle with a lack of available acute care beds, care-givers at VGH Karin Grech Hospital lacked the infrastructure and resources needed to give a high-quality rehab service, and patients sometimes felt short-changed by the system and the quality of care on offer. The opening of the new Stroke Rehabilitation Unit in VGH Karin Grech Hospital thus comes as positive news, not only to staff within VGH Karin Grech Hospital, who have benefited from specialized training, new equipment, and an improvement in the built environment, but to the whole healthcare community, including those providing care at Mater Dei. The improvement in resources will help us manage patients more effectively and efficiently, resulting in quicker discharges, better outcomes and higher availability of beds for the public and an all-round better service for the patient The work we are carrying out at Karin Grech Hospital is not intended as a standalone service, but a service which complements and supplements the good work already being done across the island. Together we can work to see that Malta's resources are utilised in the best way possible, which results in better care for patients and the possibility to once again establish our islands as the nurse of the Mediterranean to foreign patients also needing good quality care. The Stroke Rehabilitation Unit is the one of the first new infrastructural and clinical programmes we have started, but surely not the last. Throughout the coming weeks we will continue working to create and develop pathways that improve the level of care given to patients across the Maltese Islands. Stephen Zammit is CEO at Karin Grech Hospital The need of a Stroke Rehabilitation Unit Stephen Zammit Together we can work to see that Malta's resources are utilised in the best way possible, which results in better care for patients and the possibility to once again establish our islands as the nurse of the Mediterranean The irony of it all is that those who spew hate towards people who escape conflict and violence are among those people who cheer on the same people when they become football stars