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Fujairah Port Medical Centre has been working with the Dubai-based shipping company, Tristar, and Fujairah Port to provide free medical screening for almost 500 seafarers. This is a first of its kind initiative that took place over two days, July 9th and 10th, during which time each seafarer received a free medical screening that included blood pressure reading, calculation of BMI, blood sugar testing, consultation for chronic diseases and free medications.
According to Eugene Mayne, founder and group chief executive of Tristar, “As a company with strong interests in the shipping sector, we are committed to the welfare of seafarers. We launched this initiative in collaboration with the Fujairah Port and the Fujairah Port Medical Centre to ensure that seafarers can do their jobs safely, feel valued and can return home safely to their families.”
The medical centre is a member of the Al Sharq Healthcare Group which is the wholly owned division of Fujairah National Group, Dr. Jayaprakash Subramani, chief medical officer, added: “The maritime working environment demands strenuous physical working conditions, potentially hazardous tasks, isolation, long hours of work, rigid organisational structures and high levels of stress and fatigue. This results in seafarers having higher chances of being affected by diseases and accidents compared to other occupations. That is why it is crucial to get a periodic health screening and we are pleased that we have started this initiative with Tristar and Fujairah Port.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the main infectious diseases to which sea travellers may be exposed to include malaria, anthrax, chickenpox and shingles, cholera, dengue, diphtheria, ear infections, hand infections in seafarers and fishers, and influenza among others.
