Medical Care Rights at Sea: What You're Actually Entitled To

Getting sick or injured far from home, with no easy way to just “go to your regular doctor,” is one of the realities of sea life most cadets don’t think through until it happens. Here’s what you’re actually entitled to when it does.

The Core MLC 2006 Guarantee

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 establishes that shipowners bear responsibility for a seafarer’s health protection and medical care while in service. This isn’t optional or contingent on the specific company’s policy — it’s a baseline convention obligation.

What This Covers

• Free medical treatment for illness or injury occurring during your period of service, whether onboard or ashore
• Medical care at least as comprehensive as what’s generally available to workers ashore, as far as practicable given the ship’s circumstances
• Access to a qualified medical doctor or dentist without delay at ports where practicable, for conditions requiring treatment beyond what the ship’s medical facilities and trained officer can provide
• Continued wages during illness or injury sustained in service, typically for a defined period, until repatriation or return to fitness
• Medical repatriation — being sent home for treatment when your condition requires it and can’t be adequately managed onboard

What Companies Must Provide Onboard

• A properly stocked medicine chest/medical supplies appropriate to the vessel
• At least one crew member trained in medical care (often the ship’s officer designated for this) on vessels without a doctor onboard
• Access to radio/telemedicine medical advice for situations beyond onboard capability
• Procedures for medical evacuation in serious cases

Sick Pay: What to Actually Expect

Continued wage payment during illness or injury is a real entitlement, but the specific duration and structure vary by flag state and contract — this is genuinely one area where “check your specific SEA” matters more than a generic answer, since practices differ. What’s consistent across MLC-compliant arrangements is that you shouldn’t simply stop being paid the moment you’re too unwell to stand watch; there’s a defined transition period built into the framework, not an immediate cutoff.

Medical Repatriation

If your condition genuinely can’t be managed onboard or at the nearest suitable port, you have the right to be repatriated for treatment at home, at the company’s expense. This includes:

• Transportation home
• Medical escort if your condition requires it
• Continued wages during the repatriation process, up to the point specified in your contract/flag state rules

Compensation for Permanent Injury or Disability

Beyond immediate medical care and sick pay, MLC 2006 and most SEAs provide for additional compensation if an injury results in permanent disability affecting your ability to work at sea. The specific amounts and eligibility criteria vary significantly by flag state, company policy, and any applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement — this is an area where getting genuine legal or union guidance matters more than general information, given how much the actual numbers can vary.

What to Document If You’re Injured or Fall Seriously Ill

1. Report it immediately to the Master or your senior officer — delayed reporting can complicate any later claim
2. Get it logged in the ship’s official log, with your own account of how it happened
3. Keep copies of all medical records, prescriptions, and treatment notes, including from any shore-based treatment
4. Photograph injuries where relevant and appropriate
5. Note witnesses if the injury occurred during a specific incident

Pre-Existing Conditions: Be Honest on Your Medical

Your pre-employment medical examination exists partly to establish a clear baseline. If you disclose a condition and are passed fit, your rights if that condition causes problems later are the same as for any other illness. Concealing a condition to pass a medical examination can seriously complicate — or void — a claim later, which makes complete honesty upfront genuinely protective of your own interests, not just a compliance formality.

If a Company Isn’t Meeting These Obligations

1. Document the specific gap — delayed treatment, refusal to cover costs, pressure to continue working while unfit
2. Raise it with the Master/DPA in writing
3. Escalate to DG Shipping (for Indian-flag vessels or Indian seafarers generally) if unresolved
4. Contact ITF, particularly relevant for foreign-flag vessels
5. Port State Control can intervene if the vessel is currently in port and the issue constitutes a genuine MLC compliance failure

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Dealing with a medical situation at sea and unsure of your rights? Chat with SailorGPT for guidance on your specific situation.