Heart problems could account for a comparatively small proportion of onboard medical consultations, however critical circumstances can have a disproportionate medical and operational affect, in accordance with VIKAND, whose industrial delivery knowledge reinforces findings from the lately printed 2026 Gard Crew Claims Report.
Gard’s report, based mostly on round 3,000 P&I crew claims, discovered that sickness accounts for round 60% of all crew claims, with heart problems chargeable for each the best sickness prices and the best variety of fatalities, highlighting a major crew welfare and operational threat.
Evaluation of business delivery medical encounters via OneHealth by VIKAND from 2024-2026 discovered that cardiovascular circumstances represented round 5% of consultations. By comparability, musculoskeletal circumstances accounted for about 13%, dermatology 11%, accidents 10%, gastrointestinal circumstances 9% and infectious ailments 8%.
Regardless of their decrease frequency, cardiovascular sicknesses accounted for about 10% of all disembarkations, making them the fourth most typical cause for crew disembarkation over the identical interval.
VIKAND’s knowledge factors to a rising burden of continual cardiovascular threat components amongst crew, significantly older seafarers, quite than clear proof that cardiovascular emergencies themselves have gotten extra frequent. Hypertension, weight problems, diabetes and different continual circumstances enhance the probability of future cardiovascular occasions if not recognized and managed early.
“Gard’s findings mirror precisely what our clinicians are seeing throughout the worldwide fleet,” stated Ronald Spithout, Managing Director, OneHealth by VIKAND. “The maritime business has develop into superb at responding to emergencies however the better alternative now could be stopping them. If we are able to establish and handle hypertension earlier than it turns into chest ache, and chest ache earlier than it turns into a medical evacuation, we enhance outcomes for crew whereas lowering operational disruption.”
Hypertension stays one of the vital vital modifiable cardiovascular threat components encountered by VIKAND clinicians, alongside weight problems, diabetes, tobacco use, poor eating regimen and bodily inactivity. Fatigue, shift work, disrupted sleep, extended contracts and psychosocial stress can additional contribute to threat.
VIKAND believes the best alternative for shipowners lies in proactive continual illness administration, supported by complete pre-employment and pre-embarkation well being assessments.
Cautious assessment of PEME outcomes can establish cardiovascular threat components earlier than deployment, whereas routine blood stress monitoring, focused follow-up, treatment adherence and onboard well being and wellness initiatives may also help forestall deterioration. Encouraging sincere disclosure of well-controlled continual circumstances and guaranteeing crew carry ample upkeep treatment for potential voyage extensions can additional scale back threat.
One latest case demonstrates the worth of this method. A 60-year-old crew member developed chest ache onboard a vessel in a distant area the place instant evacuation was not doable. Working with the ship’s command staff, VIKAND clinicians established twice-daily monitoring of signs, blood stress and ECG findings, whereas initiating anti-anginal remedy and adjusting remedy as his situation developed.
Regardless of recurring episodes over practically two weeks, the crew member remained clinically secure and was safely disembarked for specialist evaluation on the vessel’s scheduled port, avoiding an emergency diversion.
“This end result demonstrated the worth of structured protocols, steady monitoring and shut collaboration between ship and shore,” stated Mr Spithout. “Telehealth isn’t designed to interchange hospitals, it’s about bringing skilled medical judgement to the locations the place hospitals can’t attain.”
With heart problems recognized because the highest-cost sickness class within the Gard report, VIKAND is encouraging shipowners to view cardiovascular well being as a part of operational resilience. Proactive programmes may generate measurable knowledge on cardiovascular threat, blood stress management, teleconsultations, disembarkations and repatriations, serving to shipowners assess the affect of preventive interventions.
“Each averted escalation means much less disruption to operations, decrease healthcare prices and, most significantly, a greater end result for the person,” concluded Mr Spithout. “The strongest security cultures don’t look ahead to a disaster, they establish well being dangers early, encourage crews to talk up and provides folks entry to the assist they want earlier than a medical situation turns into an emergency.”
