As hundreds of thousands of seafarers have already exceeded or are in the process of exceeding the length of their tour of duty onboard amid COVID-19 uncertainty, they should request, without delay, access to long-term medications that they require so that they can be purchased and delivered as essential items, the ITF noted.
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the global seafaring community to numerous challenges. Governments have been urged to recognise seafarers as key workers and to ease restrictions impacting on their ability to join or leave a ship, and to provide immediate medical assistance, when required.
The extended period onboard is not only negative for seafarers’ mental wellbeing, but it may also have affected their ability to source and renew prescriptions for long-term medications.
As previously reported, in violation to MLC 2006, there have recently been several cases where seafarers were denied their legal right to medical treatment due to COVID-19 restrictions. In this regard, maritime social partners, JNG and ITF, urgently called on governments to step up and not use the COVID-19 to refuse seafarers’ human rights.
Legislation differs by country and it is not always possible to obtain certain types of medicine, to use repeat prescriptions or to validate electronic prescriptions, especially under the current restrictions.
Therefore, ITF advises seafarers who are running low of essential personal medications to:
- Alert the ship’s Master of the need to obtain a repeat prescription, providing accurate detail on the medication required, including correct dosage to assist the ship’s request to the port agent and provide information to the port authorities to obtain the medicine.
- Where possible, obtain an electronic prescription from your GP before arriving in a port or pass a hard copy of the prescription (if available) to allow the port agent to verify if it is accepted as evidence to purchase the medicine.
- Contact an ITF Inspector, seafarers’ centre or mission to obtain information, delivery and purchase of medicines, if privacy and confidentiality is required and they do not wish to notify the ship’s management (note that during the current restrictions, the activity of seafarers’ centres and missions have been heavily restricted).
- If possible, seek supply from their country of residence. However, under the current restrictions, delivery may be affected by limitations and delays, and the ship sailing before delivery. Delivery of parcels containing prescriptions may also be subject to quarantine, depending on the applicable country and company policies on COVID-19 contagion prevention.
