Technical & Regulatory
Medical Facilities
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is a non-profit industry trade association comprised of the 16 largest passenger cruise lines that call on major ports in the United States and abroad. The cruise industry’s highest priority is to provide passengers with a safe, healthy, and comfortable cruise ship environment. CLIA and its member lines illustrate this commitment by the shipboard medical infirmaries found on all CLIA member vessels. The cruise industry has taken a proactive role in addressing the quality of shipboard medical care. In 1995, CLIA and its member lines formed a Medical Facilities Working Group to develop industry-wide guidelines for the facilities, staffing, equipment and procedures in medical infirmaries on cruise ships. This effort coincided with that of the 25-year-old American College of Emergency Physicians ("ACEP"), the nation’s leading and largest professional organization of such specialists, representing over 20,000 practicing emergency and other physicians in the U.S. and abroad. ACEP’s Section of Cruise Ship and Maritime Medicine, formed over eight years ago, is specifically dedicated to training, education and research in the advancement of shipboard medical care. The CLIA Medical Facilities Working Group consists of licensed and experienced shipboard physicians, fleetwide medical directors and consultants from most leading passenger cruise lines. These professionals are committed to the continuing review of cruise ship medical care in concert with ACEP. In 1996, both ACEP and CLIA published medical facilities guidelines after numerous meetings among shoreside and cruise ship physicians knowledgeable about the unique needs and limitations of shipboard medical infirmaries. The guidelines are designed to foster the goals of (1) providing emergency medical care for passengers and crew; (2) stabilizing patients and initiating reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic intervention; and (3) facilitating the evacuation of seriously ill or injured patients when deemed necessary by a qualified physician. All CLIA members meet these qualifications. Facilities and personnel will vary from ship to ship based on several factors, including the size of the vessel, number of passengers and crew, and length and itinerary of the voyage. Passengers requiring more comprehensive or specialized care are referred to a shoreside facility. The cruise industry’s proactive role in promoting appropriate shipboard medical facilities is continuing. Each year, representatives of CLIA’s Medical Facilities Working Group meets with the ACEP’s Section of Cruise Ship and Maritime Medicine to discuss new needs and developments, as well as revisions, if any, to the existing guidelines. As medical and telecommunications technology grows, so too does the availability of new capabilities aboard cruise vessels. An example which exceeds current guidelines but is already implemented in some of the newer vessels, is "telemedicine" which assists in the management of complex and emergency situations. In addition to providing a live, two-way video link, this virtual emergency room visit allows radiographs, x-rays, EKG’s and other physiologic signals to be transmitted via satellite to a hospital from a ship anywhere in the world. Cruise ships also now have widespread availability of thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute myocardial infraction. Prior to booking a cruise, passengers should assess and consider individual health requirements when deciding on the length and type of cruise. A person with a serious medical condition should consult with their personal physician before taking any vacation. |
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