Dubai: A UAE-based healthcare group has become the official COVID-19-testing partner for 13th edition of IPL 2020, being held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 this year. It will conduct over 20,000 COVID-19 tests throughout the tournament, a top official of the group told Gulf News.
VPS Healthcare, who clinched the deal to take care of COVID-19 screening and requirements for the gala event with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has already begun the testing the players since they started arriving in the UAE since last week.
SEE MORE
- Football transfer gossip: Chelsea to swoop for PSG's Champions League loser Thiago Silva
- The weekend in sporting quotes: 'Dhoni never fails to amaze me'
- Photos: Bayern Munich edge Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to claim Champions League
- IPL in UAE: Quarantine means hotel room is gym and call centre for players
A top official of the group said that as the official testing partner, VPS will be responsible for testing all players, support staff franchises and the IPL stakeholders during the entire duration of the tournament. The designated healthcare team will be available round-the-clock to meet the medical needs of the IPL.
In the UAE, matches will be held in a bio-secure environment to reduce the chance of contraction of COVID-19 among players and supporting staff, the spokesperson said.
Further to this, the healthcare group is also likely to be responsible for extending all other medical services and requirements in line with the tournament. In the wake of this, VPS Healthcare will be facilitating the COVID-19 solution for the bio-bubble ensuring regular COVID-19 tests in specified intervals.
Speaking on the extensive arrangements made to facilitate the bio-secure environment for the sporting event, Safeer Ahamad, CEO of VPS Healthcare’s LLH, Lifecare, and Medeor Hospitals, said: “Our responsibility is to facilitate the bio-bubble by provide COVID-19 solutions for the tournament. As part of this, we will be conducting massive COVID-19 tests. We have assigned a team each for three emirates comprising of our highly experienced COVID frontline warriors who were at the forefront during the peak of the pandemic.”
Based in the UAE, the healthcare group has an extensive presence in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, where the matches will be held.
