"Seafarer's Welfare"

Last month, we, the Mission to Seafarers Bunbury, were asked by Monson Shipping Agents to transfer a very sick ship crew member to Bunbury Hospital. All the government approvals were obtained from WA Police. A doctor at Bunbury Hospital, two of the senior management members at South West WA Health, Border Force, and Biosecurity were informed that we would be arriving at the hospital shortly after midday. The doctor confirmed via email that they have discussed the crew member's case with the on-duty ED consultant am satisfied they may present to our hospital. I believe the hospital was telephoned on the morning of the 21st by the Shipping Agents confirming we were coming.

We arrived at the hospital around midday as per arrangements. The Emergency Room staff refused to let the sick crew member into the hospital as they had not prepared an isolation room for the patient who was to be treated as a suspect COVID patient due to their travel from overseas. It took them almost 4 hours to prepare an iso room. The hospital made the patient wait in the Mission to Seafarers Bus in the sun for three and half hours till mid-afternoon when they finally admitted them. They had emergency surgery for a ruptured ulcer the following day.

Our volunteer chaplain (our driver) was berated by hospital staff for not wearing full PPE with face shield and gown. Our chaplain was wearing only gloves and a facemask as per WA Health instructions. We were fully compliant with Health WA documentation supplied to us for the transfer. It must be noted that this crew member had been on board for 4 months and had not disembarked in all that time. The vessel had completed its mandatory quarantine of 14 days since the last port of call one week earlier at the time of berthing; so 21 days total.

In my opinion, the issue seems to be communication within the hospital in that the people we informed did not convey that information to the Emergency Department. It must be questioned why the hospital took so long to prepare an isolation room for a COVID suspect patient. A further issue seems to be contradicting guidelines on the correct PPE that our MTS volunteers are to wear. WA Health provided one set of instructions which we followed, but the hospital expected a higher standard. The manner in which hospital staff spoke to our volunteers was not pleasant either.