As per a circular released by Fujairah Port Authority, sick crew that have disembarked for medical treatment will either have to be given a clean bill of health or have repatriation arranged before the vessel is permitted to set sail.
In addition, injured seafarers that have disembarked for treatment must inform the police, with the vessel only free to continue its journey after receiving clearance from the authorities and the crew repatriated. The same rules apply for deceased crew.
The new rules, which were signed off by Fujairah’s Harbour Master, captain Tamer Masoud, came into effect on 19 January, 2017.
Mutual marine insurer West of England, said that it understood: “….apparently there are some difficulties in obtaining visa for the crew members once they are disembarked on medical grounds. Reportedly there have been instances of disembarked crew members getting stuck for an inordinate period due to visa issues.”
In an alert to its members, marine mutual insurer The Swedish club said: “It is our opinion that in future for such cases and in order to avoid delays, the members may wish to consider alternate/nearby ports like Jebel Ali/Sohar for any crew disembarkation on medical grounds in the future.”
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.
