The “Samboy Lim” law

Once in a while, we hear of athletes collapsing on-court not because of injury but of a far serious disorder.  We stand worried seeing them lying still, unconscious and unresponsive.  Usually, league and tournament officials scramble for emergency medical assistance.  Sometimes, it takes a while for the proper help to arrive and it is the first few minutes that are critical to save lives.

Stand-by emergency medical assistance are now seen in playing venues from the barangay leagues up to the professional level.  Yes, athletes are a cut above ordinary human beings like you and me but sometimes, no matter how fit one is, misfortune happens.

To recall, PBA legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim collapsed while stretching after a substitution during a pick-up game sometime in November 2014.  He was reportedly unconscious for more than 20 minutes before being rushed to a hospital where he was in a coma for almost two months.  Of the several people around him when the incident happened, no one knew how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  According to doctors, the 3-minute window is crucial during a heart attack.  Had he been given immediate CPR, Samboy’s recovery would have been better.  In January the following year, he slipped out of the coma and was sent home to receive care and therapy.  As per latest reports, Samboy is improving but is on the long, hard road to recovery.

It is thru this incident that a bill was recently passed.  Authored by then member of Congress and current PBA coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao and sponsored by Senators Pia Cayetano and Sonny Angara in the Upper House, the law is now officially called Republic Act No. 10871, “The Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act.”

Although not yet integrated into school curriculums, for quite a while now, the Cebu Schools Athletic Federation, Inc. had been instituting life-saving and emergency medical courses to league officials before the season opens.  We don’t want medical emergencies to happen during games but the risks are always there so it’s better to be prepared than sorry.  I can’t speak for the other school leagues but what the CESAFI had done is very laudable.

RA 10871, along with 28 other bills officially became laws of the land last month.  These bills were forwarded to Malacañang Palace in the early part of June but were not acted on by then Pres. Aquino until his term ended on June 30.

Article VI, Section 27 of the Philippine Constitution says that “…the President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it originated within 30 days after date of receipts thereof, otherwise, it shall become law as if he had signed it.”  Since these were neither signed nor vetoed, they automatically lapsed into laws.

Prior to graduation from the K-12 system, students are required by this law to be knowledgeable in CPR and basic life support procedures. In part, the bill states that, “the State shall ensure that able bodied citizens are equipped with the necessary knowledge and basic skills to response to certain health emergencies.”  It further states that, “It shall be the duty of all public and private basic educational schools operating nationwide to provide their students with basic life support trainings thru the use of psychomotor training in age-appropriate manner.”

Psychomotor training was further defined in the bill as “hands-on practice to support cognitive learning.”  Students who successfully passed the trainings will be certified as able to perform basic life support procedures.  Differently abled students are exempted from undergoing these requirements.

The Secretaries of Education and of Health are required within 90 days of the passage of the bill to formulate implementing rules and guidelines of the Act.  School administrators likewise are directed to coordinate with the Department of Health for help on their basic life support instructions.  The school’s training modules are to be based on the programs developed by the Philippine Heart Association and the Philippine National Red Cross.  When practicable, which it should be, this system will be integrated into the school’s health and physical education curriculums.

With this law in place and once institutionalized in schools, high school graduates will now have knowledge in dealing with emergency medical situations.  This must be supported by DepEd and CHeD as these trainings are applicable anywhere, anytime, no matter the situation.  Life threatening incidents are unforeseen and it will be very comforting to know that the new generation has an understanding of basic life support procedures.

A law should also be crafted banning politicians from meddling and involvement in the athletic programs of the State.  Our talents are being wasted with their myopic views.