Msc-Taranto

The Sri Lanka Navy rendered assistance to safely bring a suspected COVID-19 patient from the 'MSC Taranto', which was enroute from Singapore to Colombo, to the port of Colombo in the morning of April 13, 2020. After the man was found to be a suspected COVID-19 patient, the MSC Lanka (Private) Ltd., the local agent of the ship, made a request from the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 to get him disembarked in Sri Lanka for treatment. Accordingly, with the approval of the Ministry of Defence and direct guidance of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, Sri Lanka Navy made prompt action to bring ashore the 36-year-old Philippine national Solis Ryan. The Navy's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit approached the ship which was about 05 miles off the Colombo harbour and brought the ill person ashore by following necessary guidelines declared by health experts. Subsequently, the patient was disinfected on the harbour premises itself before rushing him to the Colombo National Hospital by ‘Suwasariya’ ambulance service.