MMI September 2010 - mmi home

46 Regional Focus Far East
NSW concerned over seafarer leprosy case
The Maritime Union of Australia has made a
strong case to the New South Wales
Minister for Ports about the breakdown in
communications with ships’ crews and port
management after a Filipino seafarer was
recently hospitalised for more than three
weeks in Wollongong hospital with a case
of leprosy.
The case was made by the MUA's
Southern NSW Branch secretary Garry
Keane and ITF Australian coordinator Dean
Summers at a high level meeting with the
Ports Minister Paul Mcleay his advisors and
representative of the Minister for Health.
In attendance also were Port Kembla Port
Corporation's CEO Dom Figliomeni,
representatives of the NSW Health
Department and secretary of the South
Coast Labour Council Arthur Rorris.
The crew member left the Greek flagged
Agios Nikolas bulk carrier and entered the
hospital on April 2 and the next day the
ship sailed with a load of coal for the
Japanese port of Fukuyama.
"Where the protocols and
communications broke down was after the
man was admitted to hospital,” said Keane.
"The Health Department told the Minister
it had issues with the right to privacy of the
individual who was admitted with
suspected leprosy and tuberculosis. We
explained that in an isolated situation that's
OK but not when this person has come
from a ship which can act as an incubator of
diseases like this.
"There is the matter of the rights and
health of the crew that may have come into
contact with the seafarer and their right to
be given a warning. Also dock workers that
may have been contacted at other ports
when the ship travelled on to Japan.
"We understand that it may take
prolonged exposure for leprosy to be
transmitted but the crew and others the
seafarer may have worked with will have
been in close quarters with him for some
time. There is also a range of people who
could potentially come into contact with
him who should have been informed of the
possible contagion", said Keane.
"The Minister and the Port CEO were very
supportive and the Health Department has
agreed to a further meeting after the
current protocols are further assessed."
A major disappointment was that a key
agency in this matter, the Australian
Quarantine and Inspection Service, did not
show for the meeting.❤
Leprosy
An infectious disease caused by
infection by Mycobacterium leprae
affecting mainly skin and nerves.
If untreated, there can be
progressive and permanent
damage to the skin, nerves, limbs
and eyes
World Health Organisation
Safety training remains a top priority to prevent
accidents as sea. The ship is a dangerous place and a
good and sound safety culture is crucial
and crew managers are being urged more
and more to adopt good workable crew
rotations to enable crew to have valuable
vacation time and to prevent burn-out. There
is also a growing need for more healthy food
onboard ship with moderate use of salt and
the controlled supply of red meat. Companies
like Aboitiz Jebsens also impress upon their
principals the importance of increasing
recreation activities onboard ship with
Karaoke and good reading material high on
the list to combat loneliness and boredom.
Involving and looking after the seafarers’
families is also a good way to reduce seafarer
Ship managers and crew
managers are being urged
more and more to adopt
good workable crew
rotations to enable crew
to have valuable vacation
time and to prevent
burn-out
maritime medical international ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ september 2010