Rescue personnel and medical staff provide first aid to a critically ill passenger aboard the cruise ship PACIFIC WORLD before transferring the patient to rescue vessel SAR 272 on March 23. — Photos Courtesy of Vietnam MRCC

HCM CITY — Việt Nam’s maritime search and rescue forces have successfully evacuated two foreign passengers suffering from severe medical conditions from a Panama-flagged cruise ship and brought them ashore for urgent treatment.

The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (Vietnam MRCC) on March 23 said it had coordinated with relevant authorities to carry out the emergency medical evacuation from the Panama-flagged cruise ship PACIFIC WORLD while it was on a voyage from Singapore to Taiwan.

According to the centre, its Region III unit based in HCM City received an urgent request from the ship, and its Vietnamese agent, Việt Long, reported that Toshiya Ambo, an 84-year-old Japanese passenger, was in critical condition due to severe pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Immediately after receiving the information, the Vietnam MRCC coordinated with relevant agencies and maritime authorities to launch an emergency response plan under the direction of the National Defence Steering Office, the Ministry of Construction, and the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration.

The specialised rescue vessel SAR 272, which was on standby in HCM City, was dispatched along with a team of doctors to conduct the rescue operation.

At 10.46am on March 23, the captain of PACIFIC WORLD reported another emergency case on board.

Rescue forces transfer a sick passenger from the cruise ship PACIFIC WORLD to rescue vessel SAR 272 for urgent treatment off the coast of HCM City on March 23.

A second Japanese passenger, Hiroko Matsumoto, 79, was experiencing breathing difficulties and also required urgent evacuation for treatment.

By 12.20pm the same day, SAR 272 reached the cruise ship.

Rescue personnel and medical staff boarded the vessel, provided first aid, and safely transferred both patients to the rescue ship.

During the journey back to shore, the medical team maintained intensive care and closely monitored the patients’ conditions.

At 3.20pm, both passengers were safely brought to the Region III rescue centre’s pier in HCM City and handed over to relevant authorities and the ship’s representative for transfer to a medical facility for further specialised treatment.

A representative of the maritime rescue force said that handling multiple medical emergencies simultaneously on an international cruise ship required rapid and precise coordination among all units, highlighting Việt Nam’s readiness and capability in maritime search and rescue operations. — VNS