Section 48Sec./Art. 48

Medical Care on Board Ships and Ashore. - The shipowner shall provide adequate medical facility, equipment, paraphernalia, and medical supplies, including medicines on board, and shall ensure access to shore medical facilities, including mental health services for seafarers, as well as corresponding medical or trained personnel who shall provide first aid and medical care.

The medicine chest and its contents, including but not limited to, common emergency and maintenance medications prescribed by licensed physicians to seafarers during PEME, medical equipment, and the medical guide on board shall be maintained and inspected regularly to ensure that labeling, expiry dates, and conditions of storage of all medicines and the directions for their use are checked, and all equipment are functioning properly.

The shipowner shall ensure that seafarers have access to medical care including assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, and other forms of mental health intervention in relation to the treatment of any mental or behavioral disorder; necessary medicines; therapeutic appliances; board and lodging away from home for any illness or injury, hospitalization, and dental treatment until the sick or injured seafarer has recovered or until the sickness or incapacity has been declared of a permanent character. The medical care shall be at no cost to the seafarer.

A seafarer shall have the right to consult a qualified physician or dentist without delay in ports of call, where practicable.

The health protection and medical care under this section shall be provided at no cost to the seafarer, in accordance with rules and regulations issued for this purpose,