For those who work at sea, there are inherent dangers. They may be dealing with serious injuries or illnesses. Injuries can range from everything from burns to broken bones to hypothermia after falling overboard.
In situations where there are civilian passengers involved, such as on a cruise ship, there may be a doctor assigned to the ship. This doctor will have limited resources compared to those that would be found in a hospital, but they can provide emergency care and first aid.
But what about on other types of commercial ships, such as merchant vessels? If someone working on the ship suffers an injury, is there a doctor to offer treatment?
Training for nautical officers
Generally speaking, no, there will not be a dedicated doctor on the ship. Instead, nautical officers receive medical training so that they can address emergencies.
In some cases, these officers are required to go through a medical refresher course. This gives them 40 hours of training, and they need to do it every five years.
While this is better than nothing, it is also clear that this is not a replacement for being treated by a professional doctor. The nautical officer can render first aid, but someone who is injured in a remote location may still need to be transported to a hospital to receive a substantially higher level of care.
This means that injuries on ships are often very serious, and delays in medical care can cause symptoms to grow worse. Those who have been injured while working in a maritime setting must know exactly what legal options they have.
