Doctor

5.118.1 Authority and Interrelation

• Officer of the deck department and reports to the Staff Captain.
• The Doctor is the sole provider of medical care onboard the ship, and is assisted by the Nurse where one is assigned.
• Authorised to supervise staff under his charge and take all immediate measures within the scope of the position.

5.118.2 Responsibility (including but not limited to)

• Understand and abide by all relevant documentation, regulations, guidelines and procedures. Sign copies as instructed by the superior officer to indicate understanding of the same.
• Report any undesired events, unsafe practices or near accidents observed to the superior officer/s and attempt to rectify them if safely possible.
• Perform security related duties as required by the Ship Security Officer.
• Actively participate in all drills, simulations and exercises conducted onboard and impart associated training as instructed by the Master or the chief engineer.
• Will be a member of the Safety Committee or any other official shipboard body set up under the authority of the Master, if called upon to do so.
• Any other duties as delegated by the Staff Captain within the scope of the rank.
• Maintain an awareness of environmental and energy efficiency aspects and impacts as relevant to your role, and act as departmental environmental and energy efficiency representative if required (where applicable to the vessel ISO accreditation standard).
• Carry out water testing as requested by the Staff Captain and/or Chief Engineer.
• Provide medical care as needed to Passengers and Crew members onboard.
• Provide emergency medical care to Passengers and Crew members in the event of an accident, illness or injury. Consent for Treatment will be obtained prior to any medical intervention, with the exception of an emergency situation.
• Dispense and prescribe appropriate medications, including controlled substances, based upon his assessment, prevailing medical opinion and the overall condition of the Passenger or Crew Member.
• Ensure accuracy in dispensing medications and dispense medications in a safe way, with appropriate warnings and precautions attached.
• Be familiar with the indications, side effects and precautions to be observed for all medications, including emergency medications, in use onboard.
• Counsel Passengers and Crew members and verify their understanding of the use of any medications provided, as well as any and all precautions to be heeded.
• Make him/herself available for any follow up questions the Guest or Crew member may have regarding medications dispensed and/or prescribed.
• No major surgery, other than life saving surgery in the event of an emergency will be performed by the Doctor while onboard.
• Minor surgical procedures will be performed by the Doctor when appropriate, including but not limited to: Suturing, Incision & Drainage (I&D), Wound care and/or debridement.
• Make appropriate referrals for shore-side follow up for Passengers and Crew members including completion of all required documentation.
• Make informed decisions in the event of the need for emergency evacuation of a Passenger or Crew member including all documentation required.
• Notify the Staff Captain and/or Captain in the event of a shore-side referral or need for evacuation of either a Passenger or Crew member.
• Ensure confidentiality as per company policy.
• Maintain all Medical Center hours as agreed upon with the Staff Captain/Captain.
• Share “on-call” duties with the Nurse.
• When attending a female Passenger in their cabin, a male Doctor must, whenever possible, be accompanied by a female Nursing Officer, or other female officer/department head.
• Initiate an investigation in the event of an outbreak of food poisoning or any other highly contagious outbreak, including GI and Flu.
• Ensure that members of the ship’s crew are placed off duty if they carry any infection liable to be passed on to Passengers or Crew members, or if they are suffering from any condition rendering them unfit for duty.
• Act as an advisor on all matters related to medical services and Passenger/Crew health, as well as the hygiene conditions onboard.
• Conduct training for the First Aid Teams in conjunction with the Nurse (and Safety Officer).
• Contact the Staff Captain/Captain daily and apprise him of the state of health on board, and apprise of the activities of the Medical Department, and any medical problems there may be.
• Report immediately to the Staff Captain/Captain any medical case, relative to a Passenger or Crew member, which he considers of a serious nature and/or a cause for concern.
• Accompany the shipboard management on rounds of inspection as instructed by the Staff Captain.
• Responsible for the completion of the Medical Log Book and any other reports and records required by The Company.
• Manage service requests for the equipment and systems in the Medical Centre.
• Maintain inventory and manage ordering of medical supplies as per standard inventory requirements set by the Company.
• Ensure that controlled substances and other medication is stored as per Company and international requirements.
• Upon termination of his/her contract, the Doctor will prepare the required documents necessary for review by the on-coming Doctor, including: A detailed Handover Report, Familiarization Report and Controlled Substance Count/Checklist.