CATEGORY
Ship Medicine Chest and First Aid Kits
What a ship medicine chest and first aid kit must contain by flag state, vessel class and voyage, how to stock and inspect it, and which medicines crews actually use.
About this category
Written for the operator, cited to the rule
What this category covers
Chest contents, quantities, the medical guide, equipment, inspection intervals and the flag-state notices that override the general rule.
Where the requirements actually come from
MLC 2006 Standard A4.1(4)(a) sets the obligation. The WHO International Medical Guide for Ships and its Quantification Addendum set contents. Category A, B and C classification comes from EU Directive 92/29/EEC, not WHO or IMO. Open registries publish their own, for example Marshall Islands MN 7-042-1.
What medical equipment and guides must a ship carry?
Under MLC 2006 Standard A4.1(4)(a), every ship must carry a medicine chest, medical equipment and a medical guide, inspected at regular intervals and at least once every 12 months. Contents are set by the flag state using the WHO International Medical Guide for Ships. Vessels holding controlled substances also need a DEA-registered medical officer under 21 CFR 1301.25.
Sources: MLC 2006 Standard A4.1 and Guideline B4.1.1 (ILO), WHO International Medical Guide for Ships 3rd edition and its Quantification Addendum, 21 CFR 1301.25 (eCFR).
Start here
The guide operators open first
MOST READ · GUIDE
21 CFR 1301.25 explained, for the people who have to comply with it
The whole rule, paragraph by paragraph: who it applies to, the three medical officer conditions, and both annual reports.
- August 5, 2026
All guide articles
Everything in Guide
Common questions
Answers operators and search engines look for
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