The legal regulation and organization of health protection and medical care of sailors of merchant marine ships

Abstract

The current state of health care and medical support of seamen during their residence on board has a number of disadvantages. The sea vessel is not only a source of increased danger both for other ships and port infrastructure, but also an extremely traumatic area. The unification and harmonization of legal regulation of this segment of public relations becomes even more actual in current conditions. The organization of medical unit on ships of merchant fleet is regulated by a number of international treaties, whose provisions are considered and analyzed in the article. The study permitted to identify a number of disadvantages occurring when seamen seek medical care while on board. The health and medical care of seamen on board is not limited to treatment of the sick and the injured, but covers preventive measures with particular emphasis on development of health care and health education programs. In any shipping company, the important preventive aspect of ship medicine is struggle against drug and alcohol consumption among crew members. The directions of overcoming the considered problems are proposed. It is emphasized that their solution should be of systemic unified nature, since legal basis of organization of medical unit on ships is grounded on international conventions.