Seeärztlicher Dienst
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 361 37-365
Fax: +49 40 361 37-333
Mail: seeaerztlicher-dienst@bg-verkehr.de
Beate Bahl
Phone: + 49 40 361 37-338
Fax: +49 40 361 37-333
Mail: beate.bahl@bg-verkehr.de
Annelie Ewen
Phone: +49 40 361 37-252
Fax: +49 40 361 37-333
Mail: annelie.ewen@bg-verkehr.de
Medical refresher courses
Providers of medical training refresher courses
We compiled a list of the current providers of refresher courses.
Medical training refresher courses every 5 years
Every five years masters and those ships´ officers assigned to give medical care have to bring their basic medical knowledge up to date by attending refresher courses. Depending on the trading area a master/ ship’s officer must attend either a long seminar or a short seminar:
- The advanced training course (40 hours) is required for: Unlimited voyages , European voyages (the former great coastal trade with the trading area as defined in §46 of the Maritime Labour Act (Seearbeitsgesetz )) as well as on fishing vessels engaged in deep sea and high sea fishing
- The basic training course (16 hours) is required for: all other trading areas (predominantly national trade and small coastal trade)
On ships of traditional built at least one person on board has to be responsible for the medical care on board the ship on each voyage (from 80 persons on board two persons responsible). These persons are required to have particular skills and knowledge depending on the trading area of the traditional vessel:
- within coastal maritime waters: basic refresher course (16 hours) or license to practice as a physician or training as emergency medical technician or paramedic,
- outside of coastal maritime waters: advanced refresher course (40 hours) or license to practice as a physician.
The voyage inside the coastal maritime waters includes any sea up to 30 nautical miles distance from the mainland coast as well as the maritime areas of the Baltic and North Sea, the Channel, the Bristol Channel, the Irish and Scottish Sea, the Mediteranean Sea and the Black Sea (German "Sportseeschifferscheinverordnung" Sec. 1 Para. 2 Sent. 2).
The curriculum comprises inter alia the following subjects:
- Assessing the seriousness of a patient’s condition
- Rescue
- Immediate measures in case of accidents and illness
- Telemedical consultation
- Repositioning and transportation of patients
- Examination techniques
- Special diseases
- Ship’s dispensary
Medical training of ships’ officers and refresher courses are based on the manual "Maritime Medical Handbook".
Legal questions about medical care on board
Those assisting medically on board generally do not have to worry about legal consequences. Read more about legal principles of medical care.