ICS: International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers

Recommended by Panama Maritime Authority and the Republic of the Marshall Islands Registry

When a seafarer or fisher becomes sick or is injured at sea, it is up to one of their fellow crew members to provide medical relief until professional medical services can be reached. This person will have had limited medical training on shore, as required under the STCW Convention, but is not a fully-trained doctor. When confronted with a medical emergency far from land, the person responsible for medical care relies on telemedical assistance services (TMAS), the medicines and equipment available in the on board medicine chest, and the on board medical guide for support.

This modern and practical medical guide from ICS has been written and reviewed by an international group of maritime medical practitioners and experts with many years' experience of working with and training seafarers and fishers. It can be used on board all ships and fishing vessels, anywhere in the world, and in onshore safety departments, medical assistance centres and training institutions who support seafarers and fishers.

The International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers is:

1. International and applicable globally

• Terminology and medical guidance is recognised and applicable globally
• Medicines and equipment are available globally, right now
• Reviewed and approved by international organisations representing shipowners, seafarer unions and maritime health professionals
• Latest medical knowledge from maritime medical practitioners from every continent available in one guide

2. Comprehensive and up-to-date

• Guidance on all injuries, illnesses and health issues experienced on ships and fishing vessels
• Brand new chapters not available in existing international guides, including a chapter on assessing and treating mental health
• Action cards address emergency situations and can be carried in the medical bag for quick access
• Updated Ship’s Medicine Chest includes medicines and equipment that are easy to source anywhere in the world, right now

3. Practical and user-friendly

• Easy-to-use format for a non-medical professional to navigate and apply in a medical situation
• 3D visual aids, tables, charts and assessment forms to help crew follow procedures correctly and find the most important information quickly
• Print and digital ebook formats available to give shipping companies flexibility and confidence that a guide will always be available in a way that suits crews and voyages
• Comprehensive index includes symptoms to help readers find what they need quickly

Featuring a foreword from Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and written in collaboration with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and International Maritime Health Association (IMHA).