What is Sick Bay On Ships?

A room or compartment on ships which is dedicatedly used for medical purposes is known as a sick bay or the ship’s hospital. The medical room must have all the necessary facilities that are required to treat an injured or ill person on board. The facilities provided in the ship bay depend on the type and purpose of the ship.

According to ILO convention 92, all the ships having a crew of 15 or more and engaged in voyage of three days or more must have a dedicated medical room or ship bay on board. This is imperative to give necessary treatment and care to a patient or injured person in a favorable environment with appropriate medical facilities.

The concept of sick bay was introduced during the Age of Sail, when the British Royal Navy used to carry trained medical officers on board warships to treat those injured in battles or having other medical problems. Since then, the ship bay used to have all the medical facilities along with the ship’s medical chest and treatment and monitoring equipment.

Traditionally a sick bay is designed in such a way that it can treat the injured patient with facilities which are not used by other crew members. This is done to avoid spreading of the disease and provide special intensive care to the patient.

The ship bay should have the following:

• A separate washing facility
• A separate bathroom
• Separate water closet
• Temperature control facilities
• An extra cabin to accommodate patients during long term care or to provide sleeping accommodation until an emergency occurs
• Should have the facility to convert into an isolation ward
• Must have two outlets for emergency power, which should be sufficient to operate all the medical equipment including operating lights
• Proper ventilation facilities

Many modern ships have ship bays with latest technologies such as telemedicine and examination and monitoring equipment to deal with on board emergency situations.

Latest Ship Safety You Would Like:

How Ships Fight Corrosion at Sea?

Posted on March 25, 2023

Corrosion is a major issue for ships sailing at sea. In this article, we take a look at what systems and methods are used to prevent ship corrosion.

What is Mooring of Ships?

Posted on December 19, 2022

Mooring means fastening a vessel to any shore or land-based structure with the help of suitable mechanisms, so the vessel is not subjected to free motion. This land-based structure may include berths, jetties, piers, wharves, quays, etc. Read this article to know about mooring ships.

What is a Mast Riser?

Posted on September 20, 2022

A mast riser is essentially a device or, rather, a system to relieve the pressure accumulated inside the cargo tanks of oil tankers. Read this article to know everything about mast risers.

Safety Features on LNG Powered Ships

Posted on June 28, 2022

There has been a tremendous increase in the transportation of LNG, as the value and scope of the LNG trade have risen. There are, however, some safety drawbacks that must be taken into consideration.

What is An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)?

Posted on June 20, 2022

An Epirb is specialized navigational equipment used at sea to indicate to other ships and shore about a particular ship’s whereabouts. It is an important safety device that must be carried by all seagoing vessels to alert search and rescue forces in an emergency.