THE CAPTAIN and crew of MV Awka, the vessel that bought passengers from Ontong Java to Honiara on 10th January 2022 have called on the authority to address their plight as soon as possible.
Captain onboard the vessel, Lawson Ghina told this paper yesterday that they’re still waiting for their test results since Thursday last week.
Ghina said they were still floating outside the Point Cruz habour after being recalled by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, last week.
They arrived in Honiara around 11pm on Wednesday, and later got swabbed on Thursday afternoon, around 1pm to 2pm.
“Till then, we are still waiting for the responsible authority for our results,” he said.
He said from what they heard from the rumours, 22 of them were said to be Covid-19 positive.
“We have 30 people onboard, and from rumours they said 22 of us were tested positive for Covid-19, but since the authority haven’t made known to us, there is no isolation applied here,” he said.
Ghina said since their swab they are still waiting for the health personnel to get in touch with them.
“We have contacted 115 and 25256 but still to get a response from the health team because the crew and the charterers really need water,” he said.
However, the slow response can also be caused by lack of staff.
As announced by the Prime Minister over the weekend, more than 50 staff at the National Referral hospital were positive for Covid-19, which is a serious concern for the health authority.
Therefore, National Referral Hospital is closed for normal services, and will only take emergencies until further notice.
By FOLLET JOHN
Newsroom, Honiara
