MARINA-DOH collab to improve seafarers med assessment
Published May 23, 2023 06:45 am
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is collaborating with the Department of Health (DOH) to enhance the medical assessment policies for seafarers.
For this reason, the two agencies last week jointly conducted a Re-orientation for Medical Facilities for Overseas Workers and Seafarers (MFOWS) and DOH-accredited Medical Practitioners to discuss these policies.
They also sought to address issues, such as the format of the Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) of medical certificates issued by MFOWS, standard assessment for eye-sight and hearing, enrolment and encoding of medical examination results.
"It's an obligation of our country as a signatory or party to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention to ensure that medical standards are implemented by practitioners assessing the fitness of seafarers for service at sea," says STCW Office OIC Deputy Executive Director Capt. Vicente C. Navarro.
Communication and collaboration between relevant stakeholders, including seafarers, medical professionals, maritime authorities, and training institutions should also be improved, according to Engr. Annette B. Tan, RN, OIC Director of the DOH - Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB).
“The country's seafaring industry has succeeded in the gainful employment of thousands of Filipino marine officers in foreign-going vessels," she noted.
"As such, the evaluation of PEME medical certificates plays a critical role in maintaining the standards required for seafaring," Engr. Tan pointed out
'It ensures the seafarers are physically and mentally fit to perform their duties. Thus, mitigating ways to their health and safety, as well as the safety of the vessels they serve on,” the DOH Director maintained.
“It is imperative that we work together to establish standardized protocols and guidelines for the assessment of PEME certificates. This will ensure the evaluation are conducted in uniformity, and that the results are credible and consistent,” she concluded.
For this reason, the two agencies last week jointly conducted a Re-orientation for Medical Facilities for Overseas Workers and Seafarers (MFOWS) and DOH-accredited Medical Practitioners to discuss these policies.
They also sought to address issues, such as the format of the Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) of medical certificates issued by MFOWS, standard assessment for eye-sight and hearing, enrolment and encoding of medical examination results.
"It's an obligation of our country as a signatory or party to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention to ensure that medical standards are implemented by practitioners assessing the fitness of seafarers for service at sea," says STCW Office OIC Deputy Executive Director Capt. Vicente C. Navarro.
Communication and collaboration between relevant stakeholders, including seafarers, medical professionals, maritime authorities, and training institutions should also be improved, according to Engr. Annette B. Tan, RN, OIC Director of the DOH - Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB).
“The country's seafaring industry has succeeded in the gainful employment of thousands of Filipino marine officers in foreign-going vessels," she noted.
"As such, the evaluation of PEME medical certificates plays a critical role in maintaining the standards required for seafaring," Engr. Tan pointed out
'It ensures the seafarers are physically and mentally fit to perform their duties. Thus, mitigating ways to their health and safety, as well as the safety of the vessels they serve on,” the DOH Director maintained.
“It is imperative that we work together to establish standardized protocols and guidelines for the assessment of PEME certificates. This will ensure the evaluation are conducted in uniformity, and that the results are credible and consistent,” she concluded.