More than one year after the pandemic began, the impact on the seafaring community continues to be felt. Loneliness and social isolation have always been present, and Nigel Griffiths, Chairman of the Marine Advisory Medical & Repatriation Service, discusses the difficulties faced in repatriating seafarers suffering from mental health issues in the time of COVID.
According to Mr. Griffiths, before COVID, a seafarer could more easily be disembarked and assessed for mental illness, but nowadays they must often continue to work aboard ship. If they are considered a risk, it may be necessary to allocate a fellow crew member to watch over them, placing an extra burden on his colleagues.
The language barrier
Even if a seafarer is eventually disembarked, it is often no easy task being hospitalised. The COVID screening test is challenging and often requires the seafarer to be isolated until his COVID status has been decided.
Mental health assessment is always difficult if the doctor and seafarer do not speak the same language and cultural differences may also interfere with the process
Furthermore, psychiatrists are very often overly optimistic regarding the potential for repatriation. Airlines set the criteria of fitness to fly, which generally require the patient to be free of psychotic symptoms for a period of fourteen days prior to flight.
This can be difficult to achieve, and if it cannot be attained in a reasonable time, then each case is considered on its merits by the airline’s doctor
said Mr. Griffiths.
Extra consideration must also be given to the possibility that the patient will need to be disembarked if he becomes too disruptive.
The COVID regulations enforcing public health may well play an important part in decision making here, but if there are any concerns, the decision will always rest on the side of caution
In a worst case scenario, the airline may feel it is more appropriate that the patient be transferred by air ambulance if it is considered that his behaviour would be too disruptive or have the potential to cause problems during the flight.
Finding flights
Once medical clearance is in place, the challenge of finding flights still exists. According to the Swedish Club:
There are far fewer flights than before the pandemic, and often the number of seats available on those flights has been reduced, due to social distancing requirements. It is difficult to find seats and one has to be mindful of any regulations at connecting points
Connections may also be disallowed in some countries and in others may be restricted to certain carriers. The pre flight testing is also a challenge and must still be strictly conformed with. So many countries and so many regulations.
Medical escorts
Finally, the regulations apply equally to the medical escort if one is required. However, some countries, including the Philippines, for example, have banned the issue of visas which means that escorts must be Filipino.
Air ambulances have better access to countries as the doctors and nurses can enter as crew, but their situation has become more complicated due to additional requirements for permits.
Loneliness and social isolation have always been present, but this has been further enhanced by the cancellation of almost all shore leave
Mr. Griffiths concludes.
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