“Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman” moored in St. Maarten after Hurricane Irma. (Defence file photo)
DEN HELDER--The largest ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman left her home port Den Helder on Monday morning for the Caribbean for a three-month relief mission. The ship will arrive in eleven days.
For the 268-member crew it was a special departure because they have been quarantined on board already for 2.5 weeks to make sure that the ship leaves free of the coronavirus. What also made this departure different is that there were no customary hugs from their family or a farewell ceremony.
The 48 marines that will be going along were also in quarantine prior to the ship’s departure. During the quarantine period, the ship’s crew prepared for its deployment in the Caribbean. The ship will provide direct assistance to the local authorities of the six Dutch Caribbean islands during the corona crisis.
The islands had asked the Dutch government to send a Navy ship their way because they need all the support they can get in the fight against the disease. It is not entirely clear as yet what Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman will do for the specific islands: the ship’s commander will only be notified of the exact task upon her arrival.
In order to be able to quickly respond to assistance requests of the local governments, Defence decided to deploy the ship ahead. “That makes the vessel a valuable addition to the support that the Ministry of Defence already provides in the Caribbean in light of COVID-19,” the Dutch Navy stated on Monday.
Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman has extensive hospital facilities on board, including an emergency room, operation room, several intensive care units and medium-care beds. The medical specialists can provide medical support for emergency non-COVID-19 care which helps to alleviate the burden that the islands’ hospitals face in this crisis situation.
On board are also two Cougar helicopters and numerous and various transport vehicles, including amphibious vehicles. The Navy can assist with transport between the islands, for example by bringing food, helping with maintaining public order and supporting the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard with border control at sea.
To start with, the ship will be deployed to the Caribbean for three months. It is possible she will stay in the area longer if her assistance is needed in case of a hurricane. The Royal Netherlands Navy patrol ship Zr.Ms. Zeeland arrived in the Caribbean recently, and will specifically assist with border control. Both ships provided assistance after Hurricane Irma hit St. Maarten in September 2017.
