Illness that occurred in a foreign country is quite a difficult experience even for an ordinary traveller, not to speak of those who spend several months away from home while working. And if for some people the problem of receiving medical care abroad is limited to the language barrier, then other people do not have such opportunity at all: it’s about seafarers who are at sea most of the time. Besides, the ship’s crew always remain at high risk, being amenable to all kinds of colds, viral and infectious diseases due to the specifics of their work.

Where the distance is a crucial factor for obtaining medical services, there comes telemedicine, which can cover up to 60% of cases remotely, namely ARVI, colds, allergic responses, intoxications and many others.

Likar Online is one of the companies providing telemedicine services in the Ukrainian market.

Telemedicine from Likar Online for ship’s crew is as follows:

• Contact with a doctor from anywhere in the world;
• Opportunity to get an instant consultation with a general/family physician at any time of the day. A doctor on duty will contact a patient within 5 minutes after the request;
• Consultations of specialized doctors by appointment at convenient time according to the doctor's schedule;
• Consultations in any convenient format (chat, audio or video call) without the need to connect roaming.

The service doctors will:

- give recommendations on first aid in emergency situations before arriving at the port;

- assess the patient's condition and possibility to continue his/her treatment on board;

- help you to interpret the results of tests and examinations passed;

- give recommendations on the filling of the ship's first aid kit, advise on the use of medical equipment available on board, etc.

For shipowners and crewing companies According to the requirements stipulated in the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006, ship owners and managers are responsible for life and health of all crew members, and therefore they shall monitor their well-being and respond to any complaints related to the deterioration of their health.

When it comes to medical case (for example, seafarer’s illness or injury), the ship's Master must assess the situation and decide on further actions: to hold to the course or deviate from it in order to deliver the patient to the nearest medical facility; to stay in the port or disembark the seafarer and etc. A wrong assessment of the situation and an incorrect decision therefore can lead to the undesirable effect.

The service of remote doctor consultations Likar Online can become an additional tool for crew care, which will:

1. help the Master to make the most correct decision regarding the seafarer's working ability and further actions (disembarking of seafarer from the ship, patient’s immediate hospitalization, deviation from the course etc.).

2. minimize unscheduled expenses, including compensation payments and medical expenses, because medical assistance in time helps to solve health problem at the initial stage, preventing complications. The saving for the shipowners includes the fact that each connected user receives an unlimited number of medical consultations at minimum cost, while a consultation with a general physician abroad starts from $100.

3. help to improve seafarer’s working conditions, fostering his loyalty to constant cooperation with crewing agencies or shipowners.

What opportunities does telemedicine offer for seafarers?

Likar Online Service is twenty-four-hour medical assistance at hand which opens up for a seafarer as follows:

1. Opportunity to get a consultation of a qualified doctor in your native Ukrainian or Russian language during the voyage.

2. Opportunity to identify and eliminate health-related problems timely. This not only reduces the treatment period, but also minimizes the risk of being disembarked from the ship.

3. Opportunity to get a consultation of psychologist, venereologist and other specialists confidentially.

4. Opportunity to take care of your family health. By connecting the family package, a seafarer’s wife and children under the age of 18 receive medical advice on health-related issues from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Activating Likar Online service for seafarers means taking care of their health during the voyage. At the same time crew members as well as shipowners and crewing companies take advantage of the fact.

How to activate the service

To connect to Likar Online service please contact your crewing agency, the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/marine.help/

For more detailed information on service work, cooperation conditions and tariff rates please contact your regional manager of

Likar Online company:

Ievgenii Bogatsan

+38 067 484 20 48

e.bogatsan@likaronline.com.ua

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