DOH conducts psycho test on Harbor Star divers

A team of doctors from the Department of Health is scheduled to conduct today a psycho-debriefing test on the 17 divers of Harbor Star to ensure that they are not suffering from any mental stress from the three month-search and retrieval operations inside the capsized M/V Princess of the Stars.

Rodrigo Bella, Harbor Star project manager, said that doctors are expected to arrive at their office in Makati City at 9:30 a.m. today to assess the health condition of his divers. 

“The divers would undergo psycho-debriefing. Phase two (removal of the bodies from the ship) was a very unusual experience for the divers that is why there is a need for them to undergo a debriefing process.”

He said that after they have terminated phase two on Nov. 10, they have given time for the divers to relax and unwind. They were treated, in batches, to a two-day vacation in Boracay.

They have been holding diving operations for three months, from the time they removed the endosulfan of Del Monte Philippines Inc.; chemicals of Bayer Crop Science; and the 250,000 hydrocarbons from the ship.

They also removed 199 bodies from the economy section Deck C, cabins in Deck B and the passenger suits in Deck A. Bello added, “They went through all the possible areas with passengers including the navigational deck, chapel and mini-theater for possible human remains.”