The results of a post-mortem examination performed on the body of a Guyanese crewman, who died aboard the vessel Lady Zai en route to St. Lucia, are yet to be revealed, while eight other crewmen remain confined to the boat as a precautionary measure.
The Saint Vincent & the Grenadines-registered ship, which departed Guyana a week ago with ten-man crew laden with bulk cargo, arrived in St. Lucia with the dead crewman and ill one. The sick crewman was taken to a local hospital where he is presently being treated. The name of the dead man has not yet been revealed.
According to the St. Lucia Star, an emergency autopsy was performed on the man and the preliminary cause of death was as given as bronchopneumonia.
The Maritime Admi-nistration Department (MARAD) released a press statement on Wednesday, saying that the other crew members were ordered to remain onboard where their conditions were being monitored and also until the exact cause of the death and illness is determined.
“This is a usual precautionary measure to protect the local population from contracting any possible communicable disease,” MARAD said.
Prior to the vessel arriving in St. Lucia the port health officials were informed of the situation and when it arrived in St. Lucia on Sunday the crewman was already dead and another was ill. The other crew members were quarantined.
Officials from MARAD in Guyana are in contact with other officials in St. Lucia on the matter and also health officials in both countries, MARAD said.
Senior Medical Officer of St. Lucia Sharon Belmar-George, according to St. Lucia Star, had said the St. Lucia Health Ministry is working closely with local partners, the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority and the Fire Service and the Marine Police to monitor the situation.
She had added that the ministry was still waiting on further tests to “paint a complete picture” of the specific type of respiratory illness they are dealing with.
