Mr. Win Htut (55), a crew of a Singaporean flag carrying container ship MV MAERSK BINTULU, faced acute heart problem on Saturday, June 13, during the ship’s call at Chittagong port. Due to the emergency situation, Sealand (A Maersk Company), the local agents of the MAERSK BINTULU contacted Chittagong Port Authority ambulance to evacuate the crew. At 3:30pm Sealand further contacted, Mr. Tanjil Ahmed Ruhullah, Director & Head of Claims of Interport Maritime Limited, P&I Club Correspondent of the Shipowner’s of MAERSK BINTULU for assistance. Upon receipt of the crew’s distress alert, the whole team of Interport, came forward in aid of the distressed seafarer.
In search of suitable medical attendance, Mr. Htut was carried from one hospital to another from 6 pm to 10 am on Saturday. Being suspected as Coronavirus patient due to the reported respiratory problem initially, it became impossible for him to get admitted to a hospital or a nursing home. Being unable to find any suitable hospital, Mr. Ruhullah intervened immediately and arranged for an ICU ambulance and oxygen cylinders at 7pm in order to keep Mr. Htut’s condition from further deteriorating as his oxygen saturation levels had already dropped significantly. The oxygen supply proved effective in temporarily easing the condition of Mr. Htut and he rested in the ICU ambulance while Interport’s representatives on the ground continued rushing from one hospital to another for the whole night until dawn of Sunday, June 14, when the medical condition of the foreign national suddenly deteriorated at around 6:30 am. When all the avenues of treatment were closed and no hospital admitted the foreign seafarer, Mr. Ruhullah said “In a state of despair, I called the Chittagong Metropolitan Police for reporting the matter and for seeking their urgent intervention for aiding the distressed foreign crew whose life was in imminent danger”. CMP’s control referred Chattogram Field Hospital and shared their contact details immediately. Upon being contacted, Dr. Biddut Barua, CEO of the country's first field hospital at Fauzdarhat, Sitakunda opened their doors to the foreign national for medical attention and Mr. Htut was taken to the hospital in the ICU ambulance right away.
Despite being a Coronavirus specialized hospital, Chattogram Field Hospital provided the distressed crew with necessary medical diagnosis and treatment, who was in fact having cardiac issues. On humanitarian grounds, they took the dying patient, going beyond their scope of treatment. Initially, they diagnosed his disease by ECG and X-ray, and thereafter, consulted a cardiologist, through video calls for managing his treatment. Dr. Barua said “Since no hospital treated him, we can no longer remain silent. Like many others, we cannot cover our face, close our eyes and say that it is not possible for us to do anything. If we say so, then that patient will have to die on the street.” Dr Barua further added, “I am going to fight heart and soul till the end to keep him alive”. Mr. Htut had been kept under 72 hours observation at the Chattogram Field Hospital.
On 17 June, 2020, after Mr. Htut’s health condition improved he had been moved to an ICU in National Hospital for specialised cardiac treatment under the supervision of a Cardiologist. As his health condition further improved, he was transferred to a regular cabin in the same hospital on 23 June, 2020. Interport, the Shipowner’s local correspondents arranged continuous attendance of their representative for assisting and accompanying the sick crew Mr. Win Htut during the period. On 27 June, 2020, he was released from National Hospital and was shifted in a suitable hotel at Chittagong for stay until a flight was available back to Myanmar.
On 14 July, 2020, morning Mr. Htut suddenly started feeling sharp pain from his shoulder to his elbow and from the hip to the knee on right side of his body. Interport took immediate steps by getting him an appointment for consulting a Doctor specialising in Medicine. Afterwards on the same day he was admitted to Islami Bank Hospital, Chittagong under supervision of a senior medicine specialist.
On 16 July, 2020 he was discharged from Islami Bank Hospital, Chittagong and admitted to Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Park View Hospital, Chittagong with the hope that he would receive better treatment and might become fit to fly to his own country. On 18 July, 2020 Mr. Htut was transferred to a regular cabin from the CCU in the same hospital. On 24 July, 2020 Mr. Htut was feeling a lot better with stable health condition. As such, on the same day he was discharged from the Park View Hospital.
Interport put their all-out effort to contact the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka to facilitate the arrangement of the crew member’s repatriation to his country. On 24 July, 2020 after Mr. Htut was finally discharged from the hospital, flew to Dhaka assisted by one of the Interport’s representatives to catch the special relief flight arranged by the Foreign Ministry of Myanmar.
On 25 July, 2020, Interport’s representative escorted Mr. Htut into the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at Dhaka and handed him over safely to the Myanmar Embassy officials and subsequently all the formalities were completed for the crew member to board the flight and finally for him fly to his country and reunite with his family. The Hon’ble Ambassador of Myanmar Embassy was also present at the airport and thanked the Shipowner’s local correspondents, Interport for their kind support and monitoring, consistent updates and swift arrangements for recovery and repatriation of Mr. Htut from day 1. Mr. Htut’s flight departed from Bangladesh at 6:45pm and he reached Myanmar safe and sound.
In this way, the ship’s local agents Sealand, Shipowners local correspondents Interport Maritime Ltd, Chittagong Metropolitan Police and Chattogram Field Hospital endeavoured collectively to try to save the life of Myanmarese crew in distress and to repatriate him safely to his homeland.
A great example of sincerity, humanity and bravery for the Bangladeshi Maritime Industry has been set by successfully arranging medical assistance for the distressed seafarer during a time when the public health system in the whole country is in crisis, particularly the port city of Chittagong, due to the spiralling number of COVID-19 cases recently. Dr Biddut Barua, CEO of Chattogram Field Hospital and his team has made the nation proud by their humanitarian and brave stance in coming forward to the aid of sick foreign crew of the foreign ship, when he needed it the most.
Mr. Htut finally reunited with his family on 14.08.2020 after 21 days of Quarantine at Myanmar.