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Mati airlifts sick Russian national from cargo ship

By Prexx Marnie Kate Trozo

April 7, 2020, 8:33 pm

<p><strong>MEDICAL EVACUATION.</strong> A sick Russian seaman (inside the disinfectant chamber) on board a cargo ship on its way to Australia is successfully transported to a waiting plane in Mati City, Davao Oriental, by the local Incident Management Team on Tuesday morning (April 7). The 33-year old Russian national onboard the Asphalt Transporter cargo ship is said to be suffering from fever and wet cough for the past four days when examined by a physician while the ship was sailing off Luzon Strait. <em>(Photo courtesy of Mati CIO)</em></p>

MEDICAL EVACUATION. A sick Russian seaman (inside the disinfectant chamber) on board a cargo ship on its way to Australia is successfully transported to a waiting plane in Mati City, Davao Oriental, by the local Incident Management Team on Tuesday morning (April 7). The 33-year old Russian national onboard the Asphalt Transporter cargo ship is said to be suffering from fever and wet cough for the past four days when examined by a physician while the ship was sailing off Luzon Strait. (Photo courtesy of Mati CIO)

DAVAO CITY — A sick Russian seaman on board a cargo ship on its way to Australia was successfully transported to a waiting plane in Mati City, Davao Oriental, by the local coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) medical team Tuesday morning.

On board the Asphalt Transporter cargo ship off Pujada Bay, the 33-year old Russian national was said to be suffering from fever and wet cough for the past four days when examined by a physician while the ship was sailing off Luzon Strait.

Mati information officer Ben Jason Tesiorna said the patient was fetched by a Coast Guard speedboat from the ship moored at the entrance of Pujada Bay, and transported to the waiting ambulance at the Mati wharf.

“Considering that the foreign national is suffering from fever and wet cough, the medevac team did not take any chances and treated the patient as a possible Covid-19 case,” he said.

Tesiorna told Philippine News Agency (PNA) that Mati’s Incident Management Team (IMT) received the request for a medical evacuation (medevac) on Sunday (April 5) as the ship was expected to arrive at the local port on Tuesday.

He said the Russian national was expected to be flown from Mati airport to Manila on the same day.

Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan, IMT commander, said Dr. Wilson Lim of the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) was assisted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in evaluating the patient.

Catbagan said their medical team was on full personal protective equipment (PPE) while handling the patient from the ship and all the way to the plane.

“Immediately after the successful medevac, disinfection of the personnel, equipment, and vehicle were made,” he added.

Catbagan said they could not have denied the request for medical evacuation because Mati is the nearest port with an airstrip when the decision for a medevac was reached.

He assured residents that there was nothing to worry about because the Russian patient was not a confirmed Covid-19 patient and that his team had taken all the necessary precautions. (PNA)

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