A Vietnamese crew member on board a foreign ship suffering from health problem offshore was brought to Da Nang for treatment on Saturday.

Da Nang MRCC promptly brought sick crew member at sea to the mainland for treatment on Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Da Nang MRCC

Earlier at 3:45pm on Friday, November 18, the Viet Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (Vietnam MRCC) received an urgent request for assistance from the vessel BELFUJI sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands as its Vietnamese crew member named Vu Thanh Tich on board was reported in critical health condition. At that time, the foreign vessel was en route from the Bahia Blanca Port in Argentina to the Tianjin Port in China, and about 150 nautical miles southeast of the Hoang Sa Archipelago, Viet Nam.

The Vietnamese man vomited continuously and had abdominal distension and yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Viet Nam MRCC immediately guided the shortest route for the ship to run to the Da Nang mainland, as well as coordinated with the Da Nang Coastal Information Station to connect with the 115 Da Nang Emergency Centre to timely provide first aid instructions for the sick fisherman.

According to the diagnosis by mainland doctors, the sick fisherman with a history of hepatitis B was able to have acute hepatitis and was in need of immediate medical attention for treatment, otherwise it may lead to serious complications.

At 7:06pm on November 19, the Viet Nam MRCC asked the Da Nang MRCC to immediately send out its rescue ship SAR 274, carrying doctors from the city’s Emergency Centre 115, to help the victim.

SAR 274 reached the foreign vessel at around 8:24pm on the same day, and the sick fisherman was, then, transferred to the rescue ship for initial first aid. At around 9:55pm on the same day, the victim was safely brought to the mainland and handed over to the relevant authorities according to regulations. The patient is now out of danger and continue receiving medical treatment.

Reporting by VAN HOANG - Translating by M.DUNG