Posted on June 9, 2021 at 8:58 PM by
The maritime executive
As India struggles to overcome a recent devastating second wave of COVID-19, the government, working with private organizations, is working to speed up efforts to vaccinate seafarers and other critical segments of the population. population. Recognizing India’s important role in providing crew to all segments of the maritime industry, the goal is to deliver vaccines ahead of the next scheduled sailor deployment.
“India plays a very important role in the global seafaring industry,” the Ministry of Ports and Navigation said in a statement. “Many circles have asked to give priority to seafarers in the vaccination campaign given the nature of their work.”
As a result, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, a new priority has been given to prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for seafarers. Efforts are underway at six major ports, including Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam , Kolkata and Tuticorin, to provide vaccinations.
The Maritime Union of India highlighted the efforts, noting that the government said this week that individuals planning international trips for work or education, or to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, should also have the priority for vaccinations and second doses. MUI welcomed the news that the government will reduce the interval between two-dose vaccinations to 28 days from the previous 84 days. MUI has called for all seafarers to be included in this new procedure.
In addition, the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has launched a vaccination campaign for Indian seafarers aimed at facilitating vaccines at the most affordable prices for Indian seafarers in priority in various Indian cities.
“It is our duty to continue to explore the possibilities in order to try to help our sailors and their families who are facing enormous difficulties due to the COVID-19 situation in the country,” said the director of the regions. from ISWAN, Chirag Bahri. ISWAN said it would also help companies seeking to vaccinate large numbers of employees.
According to ISWAN, its international helpline has received a significant number of calls from Indian sailors who shared the various challenges they and their families face in India due to the disastrous impact of the second wave. of COVID-19. Indian sailors said they could not join the ships because they could not get vaccinated, which increased the hardship for the sailors and their families and feared they would lose their jobs.
The second wave of COVID-19 peaked in India in mid-May, as the country saw a reported average of more than 400,000 new cases per day. While the rate remains very high, on June 8, India reported that the number of cases fell for the first time to less than 100,000 per day.
