Challenges of Ship's Medical Officer on deep-sea navigation
My name is Davorin Petkovic and I was a Medical Officer aboard an oil-rig that was towed first from Malta to the Gulf of Guinea, Africa and from the Ivory Coast, Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico afterwards. Here is experience of my practice on the oil-rig during the period from 2006 to 2008 year.
First it's important to adjust to work in a restricted space within the oil-rig's Sick Bay. The Sick Bay is not only doctor's office but also his/her dormitory. It is essential to provide enough medicines and medical accessories for all kinds of diseases and conditions that may appear during a month or two being out on the high sea.
The medical cases I encountered while onboard the oil-rig were mostly all kinds of injuries ( bone fractures, wounds, contusions, minor burns, metal splinters in cornea, ophthalmia electrica) then inflammatory diseases, sporadic gastroenteritis and various forms od rheumatic disorders. As people were working outside on the deck in hot tropical climate it was important to give them saline solution to drink regularly in order to prevent dehydration and hyperthermia. A case of suspect acute abdomen occured luckily when we were still within the reach of a helicopter (200 km off the coast) so the patient was transported to a local hospital. Also a patient with fractured arm was after being immobilized and given analgesics transported by helicopter into the hospital. Wounds were primarily treated onboard.
Periodically we were supplied by food and bottled drinks so my duty was to inspect if food was in proper health condition and to monitor the hygiene in the galley, cooks and cook-helpers' health condition as well.
Medical Officer must also participate once a week in drills of fire-fighting and abandoning the vessel in case of fire or wreck.
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