C4.1.a. What kinds of treatment would be considered as medical care?

In connection with the health protection and medical care that shipowners are required to provide, in principle free of charge, to seafarers working on board their ships, Regulation 4.1 of the MLC, 2006 does not identify any particular treatment – other than “essential dental care” – as this would be a matter for national laws or regulations. Flag States are required to ensure the application to seafarers of any general national provisions on occupational health protection and medical care relevant to their duties, as well as the application of special provisions specific to work on board ship; the health protection and medical care must be as comparable as possible to that which is generally available to workers ashore, including prompt access to the necessary medicines, medical equipment and facilities for diagnosis and treatment and to medical information and expertise; it must include measures of a preventive character such as health promotion and health education programmes. Seafarers have the right to visit a qualified medical doctor or dentist without delay in ports of call, where practicable. A ratifying State is also required to give access to its facilities to seafarers in need of immediate medical care who are on board ships within its territory.

Medical care on board ship and ashore