Over the long months of the global pandemic, with many countries still struggling to flatten the curve on the graph of the number of people infected by Covid-19, the Philippines has played and continues to play its part in the battle to control, if not eradicate, the deadly virus. At the time of this writing, Metro Manila remains under General Community Quarantine (GCQ); government and private companies are still not fully operational, due in the main to restrictions on public transportation.
Despite stringent GCQ restrictions, Pandiman Philippines, Inc., local correspondent for Protection & Indemnity Clubs, whose members, the ship owners of ocean-going vessels, employ Filipino seafarers, were required to stand at 24/7 readiness in order to come to the aid of seafarers in need. Exercising all due Covid-19 protocols, we have been on call and have assisted day or night since the start of the pandemic, ensuring the welfare of repatriated seafarers.
One such event, three months into Lockdown Luzon, Pandiman demonstrated the dedication and expertise of the various arms of our coordinated network of organized experts, pulled together under challenging virus-related restrictions in order to meet a seafarer in need.
On 29-June-2020, Pandiman was notified by a P & I Club that an ill 2nd Engineer was on board a Cyprus-flagged ship, which was deviating off-course and steaming for Manila in order to disembark the seafarer. The 2nd Engineer had reported symptoms to the vessel’s Master, who had immediately arranged a telephone consultation with a Manila physician. When prescribed medication afforded no relief, it was clear that an emergency medical evacuation from the vessel was imperative.
Air Gurus Air Ambulance was appointed by Pandiman to accomplish the delicate task. As the vessel did not have a helideck, the air ambulance decided to make a light, on-skid landing, i.e. the skids would touch the deck as the helicopter hovered, thus the full weight of the helicopter would not in any way endanger the vessel.
The vessel arrived inroads at Lingayen at 1230 hrs on 2- July-2020; then at 1255 hrs, the air ambulance with three medical teams on board made the carefully planned on-skids landing. Within three minutes, the medical team helped the patient board, the air ambulance left Lingayen, and landed at Manila Domestic Airport at 1430 hrs.
Meanwhile, the Pandiman team, headed by Mr Ferdie Cruz, Company Representative, had been setting in motion a network of appropriate parties to meet and treat the patient, all the while monitoring the progress of the evacuation. The team had been standing-by at the Royal Star Gate, the area of the Domestic Airport where Air Gurus helicopters land; the patient was quickly transferred from air ambulance to the waiting ground ambulance, and accompanied to Cardinal Santos Medical Centre for care and treatment.
At Cardinal Santos, the patient was immediately referred to a cardiologist and urologist, and proper treatment was initiated. The patient is recovering well and being closely monitored by Marine Medical Services, the post-repatriation clinic attached to the hospital to which Pandiman refers many of our repatriated seafarers.
The synergy and business-like efficiency of the air ambulance pilot and medics, the airport personnel, the ground ambulance medics, the hospital staff and the post-repatriation clinic were applauded. All parties worked together, keeping paramount the welfare of the 2nd Engineer and putting aside their personal safety under pandemic conditions.
This is indeed a story worth telling. However, it is only one of many to come out of the many months of pandemic-caused disruption, from various international closed borders, resulting in ships’ crews being stranded at sea on their vessels, to the uncertainty of their seafaring future.