Does long-term length of stay on board affect the repatriation rates of seafarers?

Background: The length of seafarers’ contract has undergone scrutiny regarding the health, welfare, and fatigue of the crew. This study investigates whether a stay of more than 200 days can increase the risk of medical repatriation among Filipino seafarers. Materials and methods: We reviewed the number of medical repatriations from January 2014 to December 2016, specifically those who were repatriated after more than 200 days on board. We used WHO ICD-10 classification to categorise diseases and medical events that cause the repatriation, and classified them under “Injury” or “Illness” as defined by the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual. We also separated those who worked on cargo vessels as well as those who worked on passenger ships. We requested for the total number of seafarers who worked longer than 200 days on board. After calculating a repatriation rate for this specific group of long-term workers, we then compared this with a previous study. Chi-square analysis and regression analysis were applied to analyse the data comparing the passenger versus cargo ships repatriation rates. Results: There were a total of 840 cases of long-term repatriations in this study for the 3 year period. The total number of crew who had stayed for more than 200 days was 51,830. The different causes of repatriation are presented. Repatriation rates are also shown and a study of the regular stay and long term contracts are also compared. Conclusions: There are various disease entities significantly higher in the long term work group. We offer some possible explanations for some of these differences in repatriation rates. This data could be useful in planning of schedules, work hours and contracts as well as the prevention of disease in seafarers

Repatriation rates in Filipino seafarers: a five-year study of 6,759 cases

Background: Studies on medical repatriation of seafarers due to illnesses and injuries have been limited. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of medical repatriation among Filipino seafarers. Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of records from January 2010 to December 2014 of medical repatriations of Filipino seafarers from the claims and legal departments of different manning agencies in Manila, Philippines. Results: We analysed data from a total of 6,759 medical repatriation cases in a 5-year period, representing 174 shipping companies and 2,256 vessels. The total number of seafarers deployed from the manning agencies where we obtained data was 388,963 with the rate of medical repatriations calculated at 1.7%. We used the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) to determine the most common causes of repatriation. We found that these were injuries (trauma), musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and genitourinary illnesses. We also conducted an analysis of the most common clinical problems per organ system. Conclusions: Filipinos represent the most numerous group of seafarers in the world. Profiling their health issues may help in optimising current protocols, implementing health surveillance programs, and formulating health policies for seafaring personnel. In addition, our study results may help physicians performing pre-employment medical examinations to identify and manage conditions that are at a high risk of medical repatriation

Five-year (2015–2019) follow-up study of 6,526 cases of medical repatriation of Filipino seafarers

Background: There is a limited number of studies on the medical repatriation of seafarers. The aimof the study was to follow up on the previous 2010–2014 study using data from 2015–2019 to evaluatethe epidemiology of medical repatriation among Filipino seafarers.Materials and methods: Data from medical repatriation records of Filipino seafarers from January 2015 toDecember 2019 were collected from various claims departments of different manning agencies in Manila,Philippines.Results: Data from a total of 6,526 medical repatriation cases and 464,418 deployments in a 5-year periodresulted in a medical repatriation rate calculated at 1.4%. We used the 10th revision of the InternationalStatistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) to determine the most commoncauses of repatriation. We found that these were musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal problems,and traumatic injuries. The distribution of the specific illnesses per organ system is presented.Conclusions: Filipinos continue to represent the most numerous group of seafarers in the world. The continuedprofiling of health issues should lead to better health protocols and controlling medical costs. Itshould also lead to better prioritisation of health protection and care on board ships. Within the present10-year database of medical repatriations coinciding with the implementation of Maritime ConventionLabour Convention 2006, there is a compelling need to compare the two data sets to have an objectiveevaluation of the convention’s projected goals