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A major P&I club has reported substantial reduction in crew illness-related claims in the implementation of a pre-employment examination scheme.
First implemented in the Philippines in 1996, the UK P&I Club's pre-employment medical examination (PEME) also discovered that one in 20
seafaring applicants is medically unfit for sea duty. The scheme has rejected 5.2 per cent of 15,000 candidates examined since implementation of the scheme.
PEME's cost around $100 each, while the cost of dealing with an unfit crewmember can reach as high as $80,000.
UK P&I said the examination failure was initially 10 per cent, but the figure has now stabilized at around 5.5 per cent. First introduced in the Philippines with the support of four ship owner members of the club to address the growing concern of medical claims. PEME has since been extended to other crew supplying countries like India, Croatia and Africa.
Examiners look for infectious diseases, malignant neoplasms, endocrine and metabolic diseases, diseases of the blood, disorders of the nervous, cardio-vascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and musculo-skeletal systems, tropical diseases, mental disorders, skin conditions and eyesight deficiencies.
At first, UK P&I said, there was some resistance to the higher examination standards, but support has grown now that the benefits are beginning to be seen. The number of ship owners supporting the program has increased to 16, including tanker, dry cargo, bulk carrier fleets and some major cruise operators.
The most common grounds for rejection are hepatitis, liver disorders, TB,
high blood, poor lung function, heart disease, auditory problems and mental health disorders.
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