Screening of crew yet to start at Paradip port

Kendrapada: Paradip port authorities have for the moment decided not to begin screening of crew members of ships that have sailed through countries affected by novel coronavirus. At least nine ships that have passed through affected countries are anchored off the Odisha coast and their crew members have been denied permission to disembark even as the virus has claimed more than 250 lives and infected thousands in China.
“At present we have no plans to examine crew members on the ships,” said Dr Prahallad Panda, medical officer of Paradip Port Hospital, on Saturday. “But we have made arrangements for screening crew members in Paradip port and directed the captains to inform us if any crew member is suffering from fever, cough and cold and related illness. Till date we have not get any information about the presence of a sick crew member,” Dr Panda added.
Sources said that a commercial vessel normally has between 25 to 30 crew members. Rinkesh Roy, chairman of Paradip Port Trust (PPT), admitted that they have decided not to provide shore leave to crew members of ships that have recently sailed through China and other affected countries.
“This is a particularly bad time because of the coronavirus. So we have refused permission to the crew members to disembark,” Roy said.
However, cargo loading and unloading work is going on at Paradip port. Stevedore companies have been using cranes for loading and unloading cargo. At present two ships are anchored in the port while the others are moored around two to five kilometres from the coast, on the sea. Port authorities said after the two ships depart, other vessels will be given permission for berthing.