The Panama Maritime Authority has issued a Merchant Marine Circular to inform that all Panamanian Flag ships are required to carry a medicine chest and medical equipment that complies with the requirements in the current edition of the WHO ‘International Medical Guide for Ships’, bearing in mind the number of persons on board and the nature and duration of the voyage.
In the Panamanian Flag Ships, the shipowners shall ensure that seafarers working on board their ships have prompt access to the necessary medicine, medical equipment and facilities for diagnosis and treatment, and to medical and occupational health protection information and expertise, which is generally comparable to that provided to workers ashore.
The list assumes that on-board medical treatment is dispensed by an officer working under the responsibility of the master. Ships with a doctor on board may carry an expanded range of medicines and other medical equipment and supplies.
The list should include, for each item, such details as expiry date, storage conditions, and quantities remaining after purchase or use. A record of treatment given to any person on board, including the type and quantity of any medicines administered must be entered in the ship’s log.
The ship’s master is responsible for managing medical supplies kept on board, although he may delegate responsibility for their use and maintenance to a properly trained crew member. It is also allowed to have on board a quantity of sildenafil citrate. Nevertheless, however well-trained, crew members are not medically qualified. A doctor should always be consulted about serious illness or injury or when any doubt exists about the proper action to take in treating a patient. All Panamanian Flag ships carrying 100 or more persons and ordinarily engaged on international voyages of more than 3 days duration shall carry a qualified medical doctor.
The medicines and medical equipment shall be inspected in a period, not exceeding 12 months, by the designated medical officer on board, who shall ensure that the labeling, expiry dates and conditions of storage of all medicines and directions for their use are checked and all equipment functioning as required. Panamanian Flag State Annual Safety Inspections shall also be used to verify that medicine chests.
All Panamanian Flag ships shall carry on board the current edition of the WHO publication ‘International Medical Guide for Ships’ and for those ships carrying dangerous cargoes, in addition shall carry the ‘Medical First Aid Guide’ and special equipment on board according to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code for use in accidents involving dangerous cargoes.
Source: Panama Maritime Authority
