“Yachts are travelling to increasingly remote locations,” said Steven Bates, Managing Director for MedAire. “And, guests themselves are becoming more adventurous - engaging in high adrenaline sports and riskier activities. These new routes and quests for exciting experiences add a layer of risk exposure to the health and wellbeing of both crew and guests on board.” 

Superyachting is, for many cash rich and time poor ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), the best opportunity to spend quality time with friends, family and loved ones. Guests don’t want to have to choose between their desire for new experiences, and time spent with their loved ones. They want to have it all. This is leading to the rising trend of guests that may need additional medical care or considerations, travelling to locales they wouldn’t necessarily have travelled to a few years prior.

“With the continued growth in very remote cruising and activities such as more advanced diving, many large yachts are requesting to have a medically trained person on board,” Bates continued. “By the nature of some itineraries, the option to dock and see a physician may not be possible.”

“Having a medical professional on board for certain itineraries is a natural solution. Yacht medics are particularly popular amongst our charter clients,” explains Brent Palmer, Director of Medical Instructors & Strategic Customer Relations at MedAire. “The needs of the guests on board vary with each week and captains require a reliable source of quality medical crew so they may adequately support all of their guests and itineraries.”

“Some guests may have pre-existing medical conditions, some may be elderly that require attention,” added Palmer. “Equally, a number of the groups that are joined by young children, sometimes even new-borns, are choosing to include specialist medical care in their travel plans to set their minds at ease and lessen the burden of care for the captain and crew members.”

With more and more yachts building dedicated medical rooms with medical beds, complex patient monitors with multiple communication channels, x-ray, dental facilities, ultrasound, other imagining and diagnostics the ability of crew to maintain and operate these devices becomes challenging, having a medical professional on board enables the medical room to be utilised to its fullest potential.

“The medical staffing model that we provide is drawn on the vast resources of MedAire and our parent company, International SOS,” continues Bates. “We are able to deliver vetted and pre-approved medical staffing for short and long-term contracts that match the specific medical requirements of a vessel, as well as its culture and community.”

MedAire works closely with the owner or captain to source, screen and recommend the ideal medically trained candidate for the vessel. For example, they have provided paediatric doctors and nurses for new-borns, as well as medics to assist individuals that are still in the midst of chemotherapy.

Like using additional security when going through the Gulf of Aden or passing the Horn of Africa, medical staffing may not be necessary at all times. However, it is important for industry stakeholders to be aware that medical support is available on short-term contracts. For some, the idea of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a charter and not having the right medical care in place to take the best care of your family wouldn’t be acceptable. The option to add a contract medical professional for specific trips can be a deal-maker. Like using security in dangerous areas, medical support provides a degree of peace of mind that anyone would welcome when holidaying and enjoying their superyacht.

The yacht medic placement service complements MedAire’s comprehensive medical solution, including medical kits, first aid and first responder training, remote medical advice and global assistance.

To visit the MedAire website, click here.

Profile links

MedAire

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.