MINISTRY OF SURFACE TRANSPORT

( Shipping Wing)

New Delhi the 24^th October, 1994

G.S.R. 555— In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 172 read with section 457 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 ( 44 of 1958)  and in supersession of the  Merchant Shipping ( Medicines, Medical Stores and Appliances ) Rules.   1966, except  as respects  things done or omitted to be  done before such supercession, the Central Government  hereby makes the following  rules , namely :-

1.     Short title, commencement and application.

(1)    These rules  may be called the Merchant Shipping  ( Medicines, Medical Stores and Appliances) Rules 1994.

(2)     They  shall come into force  on publication  in the Official Gazette.

(3)    They  shall apply to  all  foreign  going  Indian vessel and all home trade Indian  ships of two hundred tones gross or more.

2.     Definition—In  these  rules, unless the context otherwise  requires –

(a)   “Act” means the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 ( 44 of 1958).

(b)  “ EM Schedules” means the Emergency Schedules for vessels carrying dangerous goods prescribed by the International Maritime Organization and as revised from time to time.

(c)   “ IMDG Cod”  means the International  Maritime Dangerous  Goods Code prescribed by the International Maritime Organization and as revised from time to time.

(d)  “ MFA guide” means Medical First Aid Guide prescribed  by the International Maritime  Organization and revised from time to time.

(e)   “ Medical Guide” means the ship Captain’s Medical Guide published by the International Maritime Organization and the  World Health Organization  and revised from time to time.

(f)     “Medical Officer” means a person possessing a degree in Medicine and Surgery of any recognized University and enrolled as a Medical Practitioner on the register of the Medical Council of  any State  and  also holds a valid license issued by the Port Health Officer of the port of departure of the vessel in the form prescribed under  the Merchant Shipping 9 Carriage of Medical Officer) Rules, 1961.

(g)     “Official  Pharmacopoeia”  means the Indian Pharmacopoeia  ( I.P.), the National Formulary of Indian ( N.F.I.), the  British Pharmaceutics Code ( B.P.C) and U.S. Pharmacopoeia ( U.S.P.).

(h)  “person” in relation to these rules means any person above the age of one year and include ship’s crew and officers.

(i)     “ Port Health Officer” means any person appointed by the Central government either by name or by virtue of his office, to be the health officer of a port and includes— 

(i) An Additional. Deputy or Assistant Port Health Officer, or any officer appointed  by the Central Government, either by name or by virtue of his office, to perform any/or all duties of a health officer of a port; and

(ii)              A person appointed  by the Central  Government  under sub-section (3) of section 172 of the Act to inspect the medicines, medical stores and appliances with which a vessel or ship is required to be provided;

(j)     “ Schedule” means the Schedule appended to these rules. 

3.     Scale  of Medicines etc.—(1) all  “ships”  shall  carry medicines, medical, stores and  appliances hereinafter referred to as “ Medicines etc”. as specified in the First Schedule to  these  rules.

(2)     The tables  given in the First Schedule  Specify the

(i)                 Medicines in Part I:

(ii)              Medical stores and appliances in Part II

(iii)            Publications in Part III;

(iv)             Instruments in  Part IV:

(v)                Bandages etc. in Part V; and

(vi)             Disinfectants in Part VI.

(3)      Every Cargo ship on foreign going voyages and passenger ships shall carry the scales of medicines etc., as prescribed in  sub-column (a) of column  (2) of the First Schedule .  Where the total number of persons on board exceeds forty on any such ship one set of each of the items listed in sub column (b) of column (2) of the said Schedule shall be, carried for each additional forty persons or party thereof.

(4)      Where the ships are required to carry a Medical Officer in accordance with the provisions of section 173 of the Act, the scales of medicines etc. shall be carried so as to be sufficient for 99 persons and the Medical Officer shall determine  the additional medicines required to be carried, taking into account  the duration  of the voyage and the area of the  operation, subject to the approval of the Port I-Health Officer at the port of departure .

(5)      Every cargo ship on home trade voyages, where voyage exceeds  more than Nineteen Six shall carry the sa1es of medicines  etc.. as specified  in column (3)  of the said Schedule.

(6) Every cargo ship on home trade  voyages of ninety-six hours or less duration shall carry the scales of medicines etc.. is specified in column (4) of the said schedule.
 

(7) All ships shall carry medicines etc., prescribed under column (5) of First Schedule . Such medicines etc. shall be kept in doctors attached case. Such an attach case shall  locked and the key shall be kept in the custody of the person authorized by  the Master of the vessel. Medicines in such attach case shall be used only by a qualified medical practitioner. The medicines etc., specified in column (5) shall be in addition to those prescribed under columns 2 to 4 (both inclusive )

(8) (1) Medicines etc., recommended to be used under the instructions of a qualified medical practitioner by Radio Medical Advice are administered as per he instructions and not otherwise.

(2) Enough care is taken so that medicines etc., which have to be used only by a qualified medical practitioner would not fail into the hands of non-medical practitioners
 

4. Scale of Medicines for special vessels—(1) All cargo ships carrying chemicals as a whole or part of a cargo or the residues of the earlier cargo in quantity in excess of those defined in Vol. 1 of the IMDG Code shall carry on board medicines as specified in EMS & reproduced in the Second Schedule. These shall be in addition to those specified in the First Schedule and shall be stored separately there from.
 

(2) The recommended quantities of medicines specified in, the Second Schedule are generally considered to be sufficient according to instructions given in MFRG. to treat : (i) in case of inhalation—

(a) a crew complement of about 24, in the event of a major emergency (e.g. explosion) for a period of 24 hours by which time either evacuation can be expected to have been completed or additional supplies of medicines to have been brought in by the rescue services.
 

(b) Few persons exposed in a lesser emergency until the vessel reaches the next port or some other assistance is received.

(ii) In case of ingestion or eye contact one or two persons until landed or cured ; and

(iii) in case of skin contact (leakage or spillage) four persons, until landed or cured.

(3)      Where the total persons on board exceed twenty four but do not exceed fifty. the scale of medicines given in the Second Schedule should be increased by a factor of 1.5. Where the persons of  board exceed fifty the scale of medicines given in the second schedule should be increased by a factor of 2.0.

5. Standards  of Medicines—(l) All such medicines medical stokes etc. shall confirm to the specifications as laid down in the current issue of the official pharmacopeias applicable in each case . 

(2) All tables and capsules should as far as possible be in proper moisture resistant packaging in order to avoid determination due to humid conditions prevalent on board.

6. Labels—-(l) All labels on containers or wrapping shall be rendered resistant to moisture by the  use of an efficient labels  varnish or by some  other suitable means.

(2) All labels shall indicate—

(a) the generic name of the preparation as given in the’ official pharmacopoeia in

English,

(b) the prescribed does (maximum and minimum), strength of each medicine its batch No., date of manufacture date of expiry as well as name and address of the manufacturer.

(c ) the article to used externally only  shall have on the container o wrapping a label bearing the words “for external use only”.

7. Position : every medicine indicated as a “Poison” “Controlled substances” respectively  printed thereon in capital letters either in red lettering or on red back ground.

8. Record Book  : (1) The master shall maintain an upto date record of medicines, medical stores and appliances available on board. The stock of medicines and such records shall be available for inspection of the Port Health Officer at any time.

(2) The medicines, medical stores and appliances on board every vessel as well as the record thereof be inspected once it twelve months by the Port Health Officer. After inspection the Port Health Officer shall issue the certificate in the format prescribed in the Third Schedule.

(3) Where a vessel is not likely to return to the Indian Port within a period of twelve months from the last inspection by the Port Health Officer, the Master shall procure sufficient  medicines, enter the details of voyage and certify that he has fully complied with the rules and enter the same in a separate register.

(4) Separate register must be maintained for ‘poisons’ and ‘controlled substances’. 

9.  Substitutes- any particular item of medicine or medical store mentioned in the First or Second Schedule is not as a substance having closely similar pharmacological

10. Publications—The Master of every vessel shall in use of these medicines. medical stores and appliances be guided by the la4est edition of the publication enumerated in Part In of the First Schedule.

11. Special Precautions in endemic/epidemic areas—Master of every vessel entering an endemic /epidemic area shall carry adequate quantity of preventive and curative medicines as per the advice of the Port Health Officer from the Port of departure.

12. Disposal—(l) All intact sterile disposable packages should be replaced as and when considered unusable by the Port Health Officer or on the expiry date marked on the packages. whichever is earlier.

(2) Medicines:  Medical Stores and appliances shall be replaced on the advice of the Port Health Officer.

13. Replacement of medicine- (1) All medicines consumed in the course of the voyages shall be replaced in the next mayor port of call.

(2) Medicines. which are not due to expire at least within one year from  the date of purchase. shall only be used for replacement.

14. Storage —(l) All medicines shall he stored in proper lockers or medicine chests so as to prevent displacement when the vessel is at sea.

(2) Each category of medicines such as injections. ointments tablets syrups etc.. should be stored on separate shelves m the medicine chest.

(3) All medicines should be properly labelled with generic names, dosage, strength, date of manufacture and date of expiry.  The medicines should preferably be arranged  in such  a way that they can be identified without  any loss of time.

(4) The principal of FIFO (First in – first out) should invariably be followed for storage of medicines.

15.  Recations- Before  giving  any drug, drug  sensitivity  of the individual  for  a particular drug   should  be verbally ascertained.  Whenever any adverse type of reactionary reported by an individual after consumption of medicines supplied from the medicine chest, the  consumption of such medicines  by the individual should be stopped forthwith.  In case more people are also affected by the same drug, the whole batch of the concerned medicine should be sealed and the details  of such reactions alogwith the samples of medicines used  should be handed over to the Port Health Officer, of the next immediate port for further necessary action.  The remaining stoke of such medicines shall only be used if so permitted by the Port Health Officer, after his report or instructions. 

16.      Carriage of additional persons/ supernumeries- when supernumeries are carried on board , the  Master  shall ensure that special medicines.    If any, required for the use of such supernumeries (such as wives and children) should be procured and made available on board in consultation with the Port Health Officer. 

17.    Special precautions regarding infectious persons on board- A. if a case of any infectious  is detected  on board, following  measures should  be taken, namely :- 

(a)   Give treatment  to the sick person:

(b)  Isolate the sick  person;

(c)   Take  adequate measures to stop spread of infection:

(d)  Keep  a watch  on the appearance of the symptoms amongst  the contacts.

(e)   To ensure sanitary disposal of excreta   in case of Cholera : and

(f)     Report the case to the Port Health  Officer  of the next  port of call.

B.      If a case of AIDS is detected on board, following measurements should be adopted, namely :-

(1)     The patient should be kept under close surveillance particularly in respect of his sexual habits;

(2)     All seranges and needles used on AIDS case should be discarded after  boiling for 20 minutes;

(3)     Persons handing the AIDS case should take care regarding personal  protective devices e.g.;

for disinfections:

(b)     aseptic disposal of infected material  and body  fluids be carried out :and

          (4)  report the case to the port Health Officer of the next port of call. 

18. Exemptions --- (1) The Port  Health  Officer  at any of the major ports may, by order in writing and upon such conditions, if  any, as he may  think fit to impose and for reasons to be recorded, exempt any vessel from carrying onboard any particular item required by these rules to be carried thereon.          

(2) These  exemption  order shall be in the form set out in Fourth  Schedule.