By Tom Degun at the Olympic Village in London

london 2012_athletes_village_polyclinic_18-06-121June 18 - London 2012 have today unveiled the medical facilities at the Olympic and Paralympic Village here which will be provided to the world's top athletes during the Games this summer.

The main Polyclinic, which cost £23 million ($36 million/€28 million) to build, is located in the Athletes' Village (pictured below) in a state-of-the-art venue that will give up to 16,000 Olympic athletes and 6,200 Paralympic athletes, as well as team officials, access to healthcare services 24 hours a day.

The core services, including sports medicine, physical therapy, dentistry and optometry, will be delivered by a team of ten London 2012 staff, 500 Games Makers and 80 on-call specialists.

The Village doping control station is co-located in the Polyclinic, accessible via a separate entrance to healthcare services.

The services are provided by London 2012 in conjunction with Worldwide Olympic Partner GE, the official healthcare partner of the Games, and Polyclinic services will also be offered at the 2012 Rowing Village in Surrey and the Sailing Village in Portland.

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"We have always put athletes' needs at the heart of the Games," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

"When they are preparing for the most important moment in their sporting careers, it's vital they are in peak condition with all the support they need.

"Our sponsors and our medical team who are experts in their field will pay a vital role in achieving this and I thank them for their on-going support."

The equipment housed in the Polyclinic is among some of the most sophisticated medical equipment currently available in the United Kingdom.

Some of the GE Healthcare technologies featured include two brand new MRI Scanners offering exceptional image quality and three MAC* 5500 ECG diagnosis systems to analyse, monitor and interpret heart rhythms.

"We are delighted to be providing a broad range of our latest healthcare technology for the London 2012 Polyclinic," said GE Healthcare chief executive John Dineen.

"In line with GE's 'healthymagination' vision and its commitment to sports medicine, these technologies will provide insight into athlete health, as well as offering wider benefits for the general public.

"The use of technologies that help monitor the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health of Olympic athletes will be used before, during and after the London 2012 Games."

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After the Games the Polyclinic will be taken over by the NHS and re-opened as a healthcare facility for the new community coming to live in the area.

It will include a full range of primary healthcare services such as a GP surgery, pharmacy service and dentist.

Other health services currently being considered include outpatient activity, physiotherapy services, a children's clinic and diagnostic facilities, including X-ray and ultrasound, while community facilities may include a gym, cafe and youth centre.

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