Despite the dramatic heading, things are really not that bad!! After dinner on Wednesday evening night, I had severe stomach cramps, and called the ship’s doctor. I am quite sensitive to some foods, so I think that I had just eaten something that didn’t agree with me.
However, since an outbreak of ‘gastro’ is probably the worst possible health situation on a cruise ship, any tummy problems are treated as if they are the highly infectious noravirus.... and so the full ‘disease control procedure swung into action’. The response was instantaneous - and very impressive, I don’t think I have ever encountered such a prompt and definite response, so for all you future cruisers, I thought you might be interested in the measures that are taken to ensure that you don’t end up on a ship full of ‘tummy bugs’ to put it politely!!
I was told to stay in my cabin and not to come down to the medical centre. Erin, the night nurse was up to my cabin in about ten minutes, pills in hand. She was lovely - so friendly and very thorough in her examination but I was immediately confined to my cabin for 24 hours and my access cruise card was deactivated so I couldn’t have left the ship, if we were in a port. If I tried to use my cruise card, a shrill alarm would have sounded at the gangway!! I am not sure if a skull and crossbones was hung outside the door.
I was given a special ‘light healthy menu’ with such delicacies as boiled white rice, toast, chicken soup, dry crackers, poached salmon, boiled chicken and potato. I could order any of these from room service at any time of the day or night. They were delivered by a masked, gloved room steward wearing a disposable apron!! Everything was served on disposable paper plates, cups and plastic cutlery.
Our cabin steward was not permitted to enter the ‘den of the unclean'!! Instead, the specially trained ‘hit squad’, a team of specialist cleaners were sent to ‘sanitise’ the room, everything was sprayed and disinfected and all towels, soap and bedding were collected in dissolvable plastic bags so that they didn’t have to be opened and handled in the laundry! The room was sanitised every eight hours!
Arnold was allowed to leave the room as long as he didn’t eat from the buffet - and visitors were forbidden!!
I felt like such a fraud, cause after taking the medication I felt much better, but still had to serve out my 24 hour sentence... watching TV in bed, reading and sitting on the balcony to get some fresh air!!
All my onboard friends phoned when they heard that I was quarantined - it was nice to feel that I was missed... Finally, the doctor gave the all - clear and I was released - to rejoin our normal life on the ship. Everyone stopped me to check that I was OK ... thanks for your kind thoughts.
While I was confined to my room, a request came over the intercom asking for a card carrying blood donor with type A+ blood to come immediately to the pursers desk - for a critically ill patient who needed an urgent transfusion. Apparently more than 15 passengers volunteered, and two were a perfect match. The captain announced later that the lady was doing well after the transfusion. When we are enjoying our days at sea, you never really think about all the emergencies that are happening in the background - with a ship of more than 3,000 passengers and crew, and many in the 'mature' age group, I am sure that they are always kept busy!!
The medical team on the ship deserve the highest praise for their dedication and attention - they were fantastic... and certainly create confidence in the onboard hospital - although I hope that this is the most serious complaint I have on this trip!!
No comments:
Post a Comment