KUALA LUMPUR: The National Union of Seafarers of Peninsular Malaysia (NUSPM) has urged port health officials to conduct stringent inspections on crew members of ships arriving from coronavirus-hit regions of China.
Its secretary, Zaini Nordin, said this is to prevent the disease from spreading to Malaysian port workers.
“Jabatan Laut (Marine Department) should instruct port health officials to conduct inspections on crew members of ships calling to Malaysian ports from coronavirus-hit regions of China.
“Only port health officials have the right to come onboard and conduct inspections on all crew members,” he told Bernama when asked on the precautionary measures that could be taken by Malaysian port authorities to prevent the virus from spreading to its workers.
Commenting further, Zaini said local port health officials should carry out regular campaigns to educate workers on the Wuhan virus and other communicable diseases that can spread through crew members of arriving ships.
“Health authorities should give (printed) handouts on the coronavirus outbreak to port workers nationwide to create awareness of the disease and to be cautious when they come in contact with workers suspected of carrying the disease,” he said.
Zaini expressed his appreciation for the efforts by the government in tackling the deadly virus such as the screening of passengers at airports but added that similar precautionary measures should be extended to crew members of ships.
The Wuhan coronavirus, first reported on Dec 31, 2019, was originally believed to be passed to humans from animals but is now known to be transmissible from person to person.
According to a news report, Malaysia ranks third among Asian nations in terms of preparedness in the face of a disease outbreak.
In the Global Health Security (GHS) Index released last October, the country is placed 18th among 195 nations surveyed and is considered “more prepared” to deal with a pandemic. — Bernama
