The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published the International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers, in collaboration with the International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), according to ICS's release.
The medical guide’s content has been created by an international team of maritime medical experts that ICS called on to provide the latest medical knowledge on all injuries, illnesses, and health issues experienced on ships and fishing vessels. All members of the guide’s technical review group dedicated themselves to creating a medical guide that could improve seafarers’ working conditions and make a remarkable difference in seafarers’ and fishers’ lives while on board vessels.
The ICS medical guide consists of: the main medical guide, featuring the latest medical knowledge with clear and practical explanations of procedures throughout; a ship’s medicine chest detailing the medicines and equipment that should be carried on board, and 10 action cards that can be removed and carried anywhere on the ship to immediately assess an emergency medical situation.
The guide features an easy-to-use format for a non-medical professional to navigate and apply in a medical situation, by way of 3D visual aids, tables, charts, and assessments to help crew follow procedures correctly.
In developing this medical guide, ICS emphasised the importance of presenting the information in terminology that can be understood internationally due to the many nationalities that make up modern seafaring, and including the latest medicines that can be sourced in all regions of the world.