Maritime profession, due to the diversity of risks involved and harshness of working conditions at sea, is acknowledged to be among the one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Seafarers are mandated to spend their work hours and their leisure time saved for relaxing at the end of work day on shipboard. This reality shows that in their work and leisure times, the seafarers are exposed to various hazards and risks. To name a few; threats originating from chemical and biological materials, harsh weather conditions, physical challenges, a range of different critical operations, machine operations combined with dangers and risks stemming from harsh working environment and unsatisfactory health conditions. In relation to the above-listed risks and hazards, the limited medical means in particular, insufficient medical intervention and saving service may lead to a more critical nature for any potential accidents occurring at sea. Maintaining optimal medical conditions for seafarers can be directly effective in preventing risks related to safer navigation at sea. MariHealth project; by elevating scope and quality of the health services offered to seafarers, aims to be the leader in forming maritime health domain and to play vital role in the identification of criteria to increase medical status of seafarers on an international scale. Targets of this project, based on the interest and business scopes of relevant associates, have been attentively selected as summed up hereinafter: • The main objective is to design web-based e-learning/training platform for seafarers and maritime doctors that focuses on advanced medical intervention practices on-board ship. Thanks to the distance education program this objective will remedy current knowledge gaps, update existing knowledge and develop practical skills of seafarers to perform better even in the toughest cases requiring medical intervention.In this context, medical training modules for seafarers is developed to improve their first aid skills and knowledge as well as keeping them up to date. • One of the other targets will be, updated basic-level first aid training program will be provided to keep first-aid skills and knowledge of seafarers. This Program will assist seafarers in putting basic life saving techniques into practice and knowing how to tackle with emergency cases • Devising a medical training program in progress to remedy the maritime–related knowledge gap of doctors issuing seafarers’ medical reports and certificate doctors familiar with unique conditions to sea life has also been listed as one of the project goals. In order to fulfill aforementioned aims and targets, a robust consortium was established including three maritime specific-university, one national public body dealing with maritime health affairs, certifications, medical trainings, etc., one research and development company handling IT works, one international seafarers manning agency and one civil society organisation (camber of marine engineers). The profile of the participants were established by considering strong relationship with the scope of MariHEATH project. The participants are qualified marine lecturers, maritime doctors, research and development software specialist, maritime heath regulatory bodies and seafarers (crew) manning professionals. The project activities are including management, implementation and dissemination of the output. Regular meetings, press releases, managing social media are one of the fundamental activities undertaken in MariHEALTH project. The expected results of the project are to enhance medical knowledge level of seafarers as much as possible to perform medical intervene easily to the patients on-board ship,to develop e-training courses (web-based e-learning/training platform), to design mobile phone application, to improve medical consciousness of seafarers and maritime doctors, transform theoretical medical knowledge into high- quality practice training and to increase knowledge level of maritime doctors about shipboard working environment as well as marine-specific injuries, diseases and illnesses. The envisaged impacts of the projects are that a unique online training course modules under web-based e-learning/training platform is created and the medical knowledge performance of seafarers and maritime doctors can be evaluated via MariHEATH project. The potential longer benefits of the projects are recognition of training program by European sea transportation operators will not only raise health consciousness of seafarers to the end of making them more knowledgeable, but it will also immensely contribute to train maritime doctors. Since the project offers an improvement on training modules for maritime doctors and seafarers, it can be the first unique internationalized web based e-learning platform and mobile smartphone application.
Training of seafarers for basic and qualified medical assistance on board are mandatory in case of sudden illness or an accident and injury during the ship’s voyage. The maritime medical doctors should increase their knowledge and expertise as much as possible. In this context, the objectives of MariHEALTH (Maritime Health Trainings for Seafarers and Doctors) project are to improve knowledge gaps of health professionals and determining potential requirements of medical training. In order to enhance medical ability of seafarers and maritime doctors, three key distance training modules were developed in MariHEALTH project to train seafarers (officers and ratings) and maritime medical doctors in practically: *Training Module for Rating Level of Seafarers: Provided elementary first aid distance training programme to improve their first aid skills and knowledge as well as keeping them up to date.The module enables seafarers to remain competent at implementing basic life saving techniques and to know how to handle in an emergency situation. (Please see details of online training modules via following link: https://marihealth.odenes.com ) * Training Module for Officer Level of Seafarers: Created advance medical distance training programme for ship officers including deck and engine officers. The distance learning program aims at providing refreshment courses and increase practical capabilities in harsh medical environment such as applying bandages, placing an intravenous access, suturing wounds, administering strong painkillers, hypothermia, toothaches, etc. (Please see details of onlie training modules via following link: https://marihealth.odenes.com ) *Training Module for Maritime Doctors: Provided professional development training programme to maritime doctors to enhance awareness for health risks of seafarers. Also, to increase familiarization associated with shipboard working environment. At the end of training module, the maritime doctors are able to prepare certificates proving that physical and mental fitness of seafarers. (Please see details of online training modules via following link: https://marihealth.odenes.com). *Introduced MariHEALTH mobile application and evaluation modules for practical use. (Please see details of evaluation modules via following link: https://marihealth.odenes.com ). The evaluation modules are activated once the training module is completed. The MariHEALTH mobile application can be used under "Moodle" app. Please see details via project website:https://marihealth-project.maritimehealth.org/). (Please also see detail for mobile application demanstration via following link; https://www.dropbox.com/s/m5qv6flya335xqf/MariHEALTH%20mobile%20app%20%20basic%20instruction.pdf?dl=0)
The maritime profession, due to the diversity of risks involved and harshness of working conditions at sea, is acknowledged to be among one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Some of these risks are threats originating from chemical and biological materials, harsh weather conditions, physical challenges, a range of different critical operations, machine operations combined with dangers stemming from a harsh working environment and unsatisfactory health conditions. Maintaining optimal medical conditions for seafarers can be directly effective in preventing risks related to safer navigation at sea. MariHEALTH project; by elevating scope and quality of the health services offered to seafarers, aims to be the leader in forming the maritime health domain and to play vital role in the identification of criteria to increase the medical status of seafarers on an international scale. • The main objective of the project is to design web-based e-learning/training platform for seafarers and maritime medical doctors that focused on advanced medical intervention practices on-board ships. Thanks to the distance education program this objective is remedy current knowledge gaps, update existing knowledge and develop practical skills of seafarers to perform better even in the toughest cases requiring medical intervention. In this context, medical training modules for seafarers is developed to improve their first aid skills and knowledge as well as keeping them up to date. • One of the other targets is, updated basic-level first aid training program will be provided to keep first-aid skills and knowledge of seafarers. This Program assists seafarers in putting basic life saving techniques into practice and knowing how to tackle with emergency cases. • Devising a medical training program in progress to remedy the maritime–related knowledge gap of doctors issuing seafarers’ medical reports and certificate doctors familiar with unique conditions to sea life has also been listed as one of the project goals. The project activities were including management, implementation and dissemination of the output. Regular meetings, press releases, managing social media are one of the fundamental activities undertaken in MariHEALTH project. The expected results of the project are to enhance medical knowledge level of seafarers as much as possible to perform medical intervene easily to the patients on-board ship,to develop e-training courses (web-based e-learning/training platform), to design basic mobile phone application, to improve medical consciousness of seafarers and maritime doctors, transform theoretical medical knowledge into high- quality practice training and to increase knowledge level of maritime medical doctors about shipboard working environment as well as marine-specific injuries, diseases and illnesses. The envisaged impacts of the projects are that a unique online training course module under webbased e-learning/training platform is created and the medical knowledge performance of seafarers and maritime medical doctors can be evaluated via MariHEATH project. The potential longer benefits of the projects are recognition of training program by European sea transportation operators will not only raise health consciousness of seafarers to the end of making them more knowledgeable, but it also immensely contribute to training maritime doctors. Since the project offers an improvement on training modules for maritime doctors and seafarers, it can be the first unique internationalized web-based e-learning platform and mobile smartphone application.