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    Healthcare service tailored to suspected North Sea coronavirus cases

    March 25, 2020
    Healthcare specialist Iqarus has introduced a service to safely manage individuals with suspected coronavirus following their disembarkation from an offshore location.
    (Courtesy TAQA)
    Workers onboard the Cormorant Alpha platform in the UK northern North Sea are reportedly affected with the coronavirus.
    Workers onboard the Cormorant Alpha platform in the UK northern North Sea are reportedly affected with the coronavirus.

    Offshore staff

    DUBAI, UAE – Healthcare specialist Iqarus has introduced a service to safely manage individuals with suspected coronavirus following their disembarkation from an offshore location.

    The Covid 19 Medevac (CMED) service includes assessments to determine if a worker is fit to travel, and tailored advice from the Iqarus clinical team, in line with current Health Protection Scotland guidance.

    There has been a steady increase of suspected and confirmed cases in the North Sea area, with crews working on TAQA’s North Cormorant and Cormorant Alpha platforms now reportedly affected.

    Iqarus said it has been working to help clients mitigate their risk, encouraging them to closely monitor the situation and advising them on how best to safely continue operations.

    The service has been designed to support receipt, transfer and assessment of suspected cases of COVID-19 from Aberdeen heliports, allowing duty holders to meet their obligation of assessing patients and determining if they are fit for onward travel.

    Dr. Stuart Scott, clinical director, offshore, topside and diving at Iqarus, said: “Offshore assets are confined spaces, with plenty of movement by multi-national staff on and off the rig, usually by helicopter between onshore bases in Norway and the UK.

    “With cases increasing across both countries, it was only ever a matter of time before the virus spread to offshore platforms.”

    Iqarus claims to offer clinically appropriate transport from either of the Aberdeen heliports to its dedicated reception center in Aberdeen.

    Following an initial offshore assessment by the offshore asset medic, the patient will be transported via customized helicopters said to comply fully with hygiene standards for each trip.

    Upon arrival onshore the patient is assessed, with the healthcare provider’s team of specialist clinicians advise suitability for onward travel or referring the case to the next point of assessment.

    Dr Scott said: “Until now, returning suspected or confirmed cases back to shore for treatment was a predicament. The wellbeing of others, and mitigation of infection spread is paramount to operations.

    “Flying patients back brought with it concerns for pilots’ safety, whilst teams onshore have not been properly set up to deal with potentially high-risk cases.

    “This new service, further backed by the recently confirmed helicopter operators, means that we can assess those patients quickly with the best quality of care at the heart of it.”

    The new opt-in service, CMED, is available to all duty holders in line with HSE L123 and is said to be fully risk assessed.

    03/25/2020