A new study conducted in Sweden and including 187 football stadiums found that many European football grounds do not have the correct action plans or equipment on the grounds in order to save fans that have a heart attack while in attendance.
According to the results of the poll, more than a quarter of the stadiums accessed do not have emergency plans or the necessary defibrillators. The survey was carried out by club doctors who stressed that more should be done since it is not always possible to quickly get fans to an ER.
Currently, it is only considered to be advisable to have defibrillators at sporting events but the researchers are pushing for mandatory requirements to be put in place.
In the last few years however authorities across the UK have been attempting to do more to place the life saving pieces of equipment in public areas.
Official medic for GAIS the Swedish club and a member of the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Mats Borjesson, stated that every sporting ground should have a supply of defibrillators due to the fact that those that are emotionally engaged in a sporting event are more likely to suffer a heart attack.
Borjesson also noted that given that Europe is where football is the most popular it is quite likely that the situation is even more alarming in other areas. He also added that planning and procedures also need to be in place so that they could be properly used.