Location: Bermuda/New Orleans LA USA
During a voyage from an east African port to the U.S. east coast several crewmembers reported experiencing fever and flu-like symptoms. The most seriously ill crewmember was disembarked in Bermuda. The shipowner, fearing an outbreak of Ebola and or contagious disease onboard ship contacted Future Care, who immediately assigned a Physician Advisor to liaise with the ship’s captain and crew. The Physician Advisor maintained constant contact with the captain and crew and provided medical advice as the ship proceeded toward the U.S.
Future Care’s Physician Advisor also assisted the shipowner in communicating with the U.S. authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in allowing the ship to continue to the port of New Orleans.
Upon arrival in New Orleans the authorities imposed a crew quarantine pending testing results and ultimately CDC approval. The Physician Advisor and Future Care medical case management team arranged for an emergency launch to bring the necessary medical personnel to the ship and conduct the appropriate testing. The testing results proved to be negative for Ebola or other infectious disease, although one crewmember was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Future Care’s case manager was assigned to monitor the crewmember’s hepatitis treatment. The seafarer was stabilized and thereafter successfully repatriated.
Estimated Savings through Future Care Intervention: The ship avoided potentially many days’ delay, and perhaps an outright refusal of permission to berth at the port of New Orleans. The expenses of the delay or deviation would have been quite significant.
