Maritime Medical Handbook: The app is here!
Even on land, a medical emergency is an exceptional situation. On board, the challenge is many times greater: on the open sea, the nearest emergency doctor and the nearest hospital are often several days’ journey away. Consequently, the crew is on their own when it comes to caring for the sick and injured. The master is responsible, though treatment is usually carried out by the second navigational officer, who recently completed their medical training. Every five years, masters and navigational officers also attend medical refresher courses to prepare for handling medical emergencies. However, even the most comprehensive multi-day course cannot replace medical school. Masters and navigational officers remain medical laypeople.
This makes it all the more important that the best possible support is available on board. For ships flying the German Flag, this is primarily provided by the Maritime Medical Handbook and the corresponding emergency cards, the on-board pharmacy, and the option of telemedical maritime assistance service. All these components of medical care are closely aligned.
In response to numerous requests from mariners, the Maritime Medical Handbook has now been perfectly complemented by the new MediSee app: From any location and any smartphone, life-saving emergency measures can be accessed at any time, including audio and video instructions as well as direct links to subchapters in the Maritime Medical Handbook. An intelligent keyword search makes it easy to navigate immediately to the right content, even in stressful situations. The app is bilingual (German/English) and works - an important requirement on board - even without an internet connection.
The app was developed by the authors of the Maritime Medical Handbook: Annelie Ewen (Maritime Medical Service), Dr. Philipp Langenbuch (former head of the Maritime Medical Service), and Dr. Jens Tülsner (Marine Medical Solutions). The app is published by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV), which also provided the funding. With this app, the German Flag is one of the first to create a digital tool for the crew on board seagoing vessels, once again demonstrating the flag’s commitment to quality and its forward-looking approach.
The MediSee app is now available for free download via the App Store (left) and the Google Play Store (right). Every crew member can easily download it to their phone and should do so whenever possible, in the interest of their colleagues and for their own sake: Because those who are prepared for an emergency can keep a clear head when it counts.