The ship’s medical kit
Things have changed a lot since the grand days when fully rigged sailing ships with large crews moved around the globe, conquering and trading.
Most sailing ships are recreational and do not carry a doctor, paramedic or nurse, but most have some sort of medical kit and instructions. The notable exception are those yachts registered for racing, which are regulated by the club or association. even these run into trouble because first aid preparation is not always at the top of a busy list.
From my experience, it seems that most of these kits are quite inadequate to deal with emergencies both large and small.
Every ship has different needs, dictated by the health status of those on board, sailing time away from retieval and the type activity provided by the ship, be it reef swimming or hiking ashore, whatever.
The most common problems are:
- the choice of materials and equipment not chosen by an experienced professional
- out of date
- spoiled in the marine environment by inadequate packaging, particularly in the tropics
- supplies used not being replenished
- insufficient instruction in how to manage the unexpected
- even minor things such as proper dressings are often not included
- some boats should even carry specialised equipment for stitching of wounds
- a line of contact to professional medical help
The Ship’s Doctor is available for advice, training and acquisition of appropriate medical materials within Australia and the Pacific.