Trade Group to Boost Seafarers’ Health

Peter T. Leach
Source: The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

International Maritime Medical Association to lobby for change

Ship owners and managers and others in the industry launched a new trade association at the Baltic Exchange in London on Monday with a broad mandate to represent and promote the health and medical interests of the world’s seafarers, port workers and cruise passengers as well as to improve shipboard hygiene.

The International Maritime Medical Association (IMMA), as it is known, said it will look after the medical interests of those involved in the shipping industry worldwide and work to lobby politicians and regulators who influence this important sector of the global shipping industry.

IMMA, a non-profit organization that will operate out of London’s Baltic Exchange, will work alongside and draw on the medical expertise of the International Maritime Health Association, an existing members’ association for maritime doctors and port clinics.

IMMA said it will not only represent the medical and health interests of the maritime sector globally, but also act as a legislative watchdog and lobby for change as necessary.

With a mandate to highlight the health and medical issues of the world’s seafarers equally from an owners’ and managers’ perspective as well as through the eyes of the seafarer and the unions, IMMA will bring the views of the ship and crew manager and the seafarer to the forefront when influencing future regulation of this key area of the global shipping industry.

The new organization has established a permanent secretariat in The Baltic Exchange in London to support and promote the interests of its members. IMMA has recruited a full-time secretary general and is assembling a nine-person board of directors that brings together expertise from the medical as well as ship-owning, P&I, port agency and medical auditing sectors.

Michael Van Hall, President of Gezellig, Inc. and former president of van Hall Health Inc. and managing director maritime sector at Health Systems International, Indiana, has been elected as the association’s first president.

Full membership of IMMA is open to all stakeholders interested in seafarer and maritime health, fitness and medicine: notably port and shipboard doctors; port clinics; hospitals; medical and specialty medical groups such as dentists and orthopedists; pharmacists and medical equipment and drug supply and testing companies; P&I Clubs; port agents and port operators as well as ship- owning and ship management companies.

Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.