Paradip: Following intervention of the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Chemicals & Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, six major ports of India have started vaccinating seafarers at their port hospitals.
Six Major Ports which includes Mumbai Port Trust, Cochin Port Trust, Chennai Port Trust, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Kolkata Port Trust and Tuticorin Port Trust have started vaccinating seafarers and a private hospital in Kerala has also been roped in for vaccinating seafarers.
Reviewing the status of vaccination to the seafarers, Mandaviya suggested that the seafaring industry should not get hampered due to non-vaccination. He emphasized that all efforts should be made to get the seafarers vaccinated before joining their scheduled duties on board.
As India plays a very significant role in the global seafarer industry, there were demands from many quarters to accord ‘priority’ to seafarers in the vaccination drive in view of the nature of their work. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways also coordinated actively with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to give priority to seafarers in COVID vaccination.
Seafaring Unions/Associations like MASSA, FOSMA and NUSI have also successfully organized special camps for vaccination.
Apart from these measures, the Ministry of PS&W has been making efforts to take State Governments on board for including seafarers in their State ‘priority list’. The Union Minister thanked the states for including Seafarers in the State ‘Priority List’ for vaccination.