Coronavirus: Port Health demands 48 hours alert notice ahead of vessels arrival

Segun Oladipupo

In its efforts to prevent spread of the dreaded virus, Coronavirus presently raging in China from entering the country, Port Health Services has written to all agencies of shipping lines to embrace safety measures.

In view of this, the Service gave shipping lines 48 hours to berthing, to announce their arrival for necessary actions.

It was gathered that the health officials have also written to all sister agencies and relevant authorities within the port city to embrace safety measures against the backdrop of the virus spread.

The notice which used to be 24 hours alertness was extended to 48 hours, as part of measures to screen seafarers aboard in furtherance to know their body temperature.

Port Health officials are the first set of government agencies to board vessel upon arrival in Nigerian seaports, followed by immigration then customs.

The health officials after embarking on the examination of crew aboard ships, give signal through a yellow flag to indicate safe for embarkment, while double yellow flags show that the vessel is under suspects on health-related matters and yellow blue gives the impression that such vessel is under health threat.

Pratique is defined as the permission given to the captain of the vessel to embark, disembark and to commence operation.

They include: Type Free pratique Oral and Function performed by Port Health Services 1Radio pratique.

Various functions of Port health services include: boarding and inspection of ships, pest control activities, Health education, Food control activities, As hockey activities, Vaccination or Inoculation, Medical services, Water services, Public Administration.

According to a statement sighted by our correspondent in Lagos, the shipping lines have been instructed to issue crew details to the health organisation within two days, even as the aim of the alertness was to get the body temperature of the seafarers aboard each ship at berth

Sources also disclosed that sensitisation campaigns have been ongoing in the Lagos seaports, since the outbreak of the virus in China.

Our correspondent gathered that vessels from Asia and Europe are seriously under the watchful eyes of the port health services.