More than 500 Fujairah Seafarers receive free medical screenings from a collaborative effort by Tristar and Fujairah Port Medical Centre over the course of two days beginning July 9 and 10.
This initiative took place in support of International Seafarers Day 2017, which was also recognized by the International Maritime Organization, who took on the theme Seafarers Matter. This celebration attempted to draw attention to the well-being and needs of seafarers.
Eugene Mayne, founder and group CEO of Tristar, said: The shipping industry transports 90% of the worlds trade and the seafarers are the backbone of this large industry. They dedicate themselves to life at sea, away from home, doing work that can often be challenging, lonely and even dangerous. As a company with strong interests in the shipping sector, we are committed to the welfare of seafarers. We launched this initiative in collaboration with the Fujairah Port and the Fujairah Port Medical Centre to ensure that seafarers can do their jobs safely, feel valued, and can return home safely to their families.
It has become increasingly apparent that seafarers endure a great deal of danger and uncertainty on a regular basis. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the main infectious diseases which sea travelers may be exposed to include malaria, anthrax, chickenpox and shingles, cholera, dengue, diphtheria, ear infections, hand infections in seafarers and fishers, and influenza to name a few.
Medical screenings are a vital asset that seafarers desperately could use more of in order to fully maintain their safety as well as stray from a path of ill health.