A crew member of the merchant vessel Bohwa Amoy was evacuated for medical treatment in Mangaluru on August 16, 2024 after he reported chest pain.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A team effort has saved the life of a Vietnamese, who suffered a heart attack aboard a ship that called at New Mangalore Port. The Vietnamese was the chief cook in the merchant vessel.
The merchant vessel, Bohwa Amoy, arrived at Mangaluru port on August 13 carrying 7,141.800 tonnes of raw cashew nuts, under the care of ETA Shipping and Logistics, Mangaluru. The consignment was meant for Bolas Agro Private Limited.
Sai Sharan Kottari, partner, ETA Shipping and Logistics, said that the Master of the vessel had called the agency on August 16 to inform that the chief cook, a Vietnamese, had reported chest pain.
“We immediately shifted him to Athena Hospital under the guidance of Dr. M. S. Puthran, a Medical Officer of Shipping Corporation of India (SCI),” he said.
At Athena Hospital, the patient was treated by two doctors — M. S. Puthran of SCI and Ashith D. Shettian, Medical Director at Athena Hospital — for three days.
According to Dr. Puthran and Dr. Shettian, the cook was very restless when he was taken to Athena Hospital. He complained of severe chest pain. After preliminary treatment, the patient was kept in the ICU.
“Pumping of the heart was very low when he was admitted to the hospital by noon on August 16,” Dr. Shettian said.
“On August 19, the Vietnamese was shifted to the Kasturba Medical College Hospital for further treatment under the guidance of Dr. M. Padmanabha Kamath, a senior interventional cardiologist at KMC,” Mr. Kottari said.
In an operation conducted on August 20, medical professionals led by M. Padmanabha Kamath did an angioplasty.
Dr. Kamath, also Professor and Head, Department of Cardiology at KMC, said that angioplastry on the 36-year-old cook was done at 12.30 a.m. on Tuesday August 20 after conducting an angiogram.
“If the cook had suffered the heart attack mid-sea, his condition would have been very critical,” Dr. Kamath said, adding that the patient is now doing fine.
Dr. Puthran said that the cook is likely to be discharged from KMC hospital on Friday August 23. He will be flown back to Vietnam after completing the necessary formalities.
“The officials of New Mangalore Port, immigration, customs and health provided quick assistance in saving the life of the crew member,” Mr. Kottari said.
