(ANTWERP, Belgium) — A comprehensive catalog of all the medical and health-related items needed onboard ship has been launched as a free iPhone/iPad and Android app to shipowners and managers by the International Maritime Medical Association (IMMA).
The IMMA Maritime Medical Stores Catalogue lists in excess of 5,000 items, all crucial to the health and well-being of crew members onboard ship and is designed to run alongside established medical guidelines issued by bodies such as the World Health Organization.
This easy-to-use app has a section on recommended medicines as well as a "doctor’s bag" of necessary medicines that should be available at any time onboard ship. The medicine section can also be interrogated by health compliant such as what medicines should be taken for motion sickness or indigestion or coughs etc while there is a comprehensive list of emergency and non-emergency medical equipment that should be used onboard ship.
A useful guide as to what medicines should form part of onboard medical kits is also included as well as a section on alcohol and drug testing as well as waste management and cleaning equipment — all part of working to preventing disease onboard ship.
All medicines listed have an IMMA number which owners and managers can quote when ordering from their ship suppliers or chandlers.
The International Maritime Medical Association was formed in 2010 with the declared aim of promoting seafarer health and welfare and to act as a central organization to represent suppliers or medical services and supplies globally.
The IMMA Maritime Medical Stores Catalogue is free to owners and managers and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store. Shipowners wishing to receive their free access code can receive this by emailing secretariat@maritime-medical.org.
