UN Launches a Medical Guide for Ships

A revised and updated handbook for seafarers medical welfare aboard ships has been jointly released by three arms of the UN, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Labor Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

A communiqué from the UN says its third edition of the International Medical Guide for Ships now provides the most up-to-date practical guidance for those who must render assistance when seafarers fall ill or are injured on board vessels.

Since it was first published in 1967, the International Medical Guide for Ships has been a standard reference for medical care on ships.

The recently adopted ILO Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, stipulates that all ships should carry a medicine chest, medical equipment and a medical guide.

The importance of a thorough knowledge of the Guide is highlighted in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended; the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), 1995; the revised Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels, 2005; and the FAO/ILO/IMO Document for Guidance on Training and Certification of Fishing Vessel Personnel, 2000.

In addition, the International Medical Guide for Ships is cross-referenced in the Medical First Aid Guide for Use in Accidents Involving Dangerous Goods, published by IMO, on behalf of ILO, IMO and WHO.

The International Medical Guide for Ships upholds a key principle of the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, which states: to ensure that seafarers are given health protection and medical care no less favorable than that which is generally available to workers ashore.

This includes prompt access to the necessary medicines, medical equipment and facilities for diagnosis and treatment and to medical information and expertise.

By ensuring that this guide is carried on board ships entitled to fly their flags, and following its instructions, countries can fulfill their obligations under the terms of the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, and ensure the best possible health outcomes for their seafaring population.

The second edition, written in 1988, was translated into more than 30 languages, and has been used in tens of thousands of ships.