Navigare 2 - Sjøfartsdirektoratet

kvaliteten på undersøkingane kan seiastå vera like god.UK har allereie eit kvalitetssikringssystemfor sjømannslegar. Noreg harikkje. Dette må vi nok ha på plass. Røynslenefrå Fagnemnda tilseier at det også erpå sin plass med ein rettleiingsfunksjonog ein kontrollfunksjon av sjømannslegeverksemda.Får vi dette på plass er dettruleg ikkje noko i vegen for gjensidiggodkjenning.Også land utan eigen godkjenning avsjømannslegar må innføra kvalitetskontrollmed dei legane som skriv ut helseattestar.Dersom dette kjem på plass i alleflaggnasjonar som er bundne av STCWellerMLC-konvensjonen er vi svært nærei multilateral gjensidig godkjenningsordningsom er omtrent det næraste vikan koma eit globalt system med likhelseattest på like vilkår for alle sjøfolk.Det bør ikkje lenger vera trong forandre krav enn flaggstaten sine krav. Andrekrav bør avviklast når alle flaggstatarnyttar internasjonale helsekrav og harinternasjonalt akseptert kvalitetskontrollav sjømannslegane.Det bør vera det endelege målet.Most seafaring nations need to address this problem. We can startby cleaning up our own backyard. We should perhaps introducea stricter quality control of Norwegian seamen’s doctors - both inNorway and abroad.is mutual recognition possible?The recently revised recommendations on minimum requirementsfor health examinations of seafarers are now being approved in theILO and IMO and are likely to be adopted in 2012. Theserequirements are far better than the previous from 1997, and arelikely to be accepted without change by the flag states, in whichcase we will have consistent flag state requirements all over theworld. That would be a big step forward in the process of approvingeach other's health declarations, eliminating the need for ourown - if only we could trust that the process leading to the signingof a health certificate maintains the necessary standard.There are two prerequisites that must be met prior to mutualrecognition between flag States. Firstly, the health requirementsmust be the same or virtually identical. Secondly, one must becertain that health examinations hold the necessary quality andare conducted within an acceptable ethical framework.New international guidelinesThe new recommendations of the ILO and IMO on the minimumhealth requirements for seafarers are quite similar to the prevalenthealth requirements in Norway and the United Kingdom. Itshould therefore not be a problem to implement them in Norway.The United Kingdom will probably do just that and then there isevery chance that we can accept each other's health certificates - ifthe quality of examinations is as good.The United Kingdom already has a quality assurance systemfor seamen's doctors. Norway has not. We must probably havethat in place. Experiences from the appellate body indicate that itis necessary with supervision and control of the seamen’s doctorbusiness. If we get this in place, there is probably nothing in theway of mutual recognition.Even countries without their own approval of the seaman'sdoctors must introduce quality control with the doctors whowrite the health certificates. If this comes into place in all flagstates that are bound by the STCW or MLC Conventions, wewould be very close to a multilateral mutual approval which isabout the closest we can get to a global system with the same healthcertificate on equal conditions for all seafarers.It should no longer be a need for other requirements thanthose of the flag state. Other requirements should be eliminatedwhen all flag states uses international approved health requirementsand internationally accepted quality control of the seamen'sdoctors.This must be the ultimate objective.