Universal Marine Medical: Delivering Care at Sea

Commercial shipping is an indispensable backbone of businesses and industries worldwide, responsible for over 80% of world trade averaging just over 11 billion tonnes annually[1][2].

Commercial vessels are kept running by only 20 to 30 crew members per ship and can spend several weeks or months on a single voyage. Surrounded by thousands of miles of open ocean for most of their journey, these crew members need to be self-sufficient in food, water, and keep themselves healthy.

This also applies to healthcare; when a crew member falls ill or gets injured, other crew members need to be able to administer aid. Without an onboard doctor or clinic to visit, however, how do crew members deal with medical emergencies?

For nearly 50 years, Unimed has been an industry leader in maritime medical compliance in providing medical chests, oxygen compliance solutions, and round the clock telemedicine care. By establishing its global presence in countries such as Australia, Greece, Rotterdam, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Unimed has created a global network capable of supporting thousands of international maritime vessels all year round.

How Unimed supports crew members’ wellbeing aboard ships

“The whole idea of Unimed is to save lives” - Eugene Tan, Managing Director of Unimed in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Unimed served as front-line responders, ensuring medical supplies were delivered to ships despite a worldwide lockdown in place.

Unimed's proprietary subscription-based medical chest management system, Medscale, helps fleets stay audit ready with real-time inventory visibility, automated compliance alerts, and predictable, cost-inclusive replenishments. The medical supplies form the bulk of medical aid aboard ships and can be administered by crew members with medical experience.

Boosting the effectiveness of the medical supplies and inventory visibility is Telemed, a 24/7 emergency medical hotline that connects crew members with Unimed’s doctors stationed in Greece via both voice and videoconferencing. “Bear in mind that not all vessels have doctors on board,” Eugene adds. This real-time consultation service is further enhanced with full access to crew medical records, onboard inventory, and historic cases in Medscale, allowing doctors to provide the right guidance, be it proper medical dosage or more complex medical procedures.

Unimed also removes significant administrative burden by monitoring medical chest certificate compliance and handling paperwork, taking the guesswork out of compliance and saving valuable time for crew members. Coupled with Unimed’s global network of warehouses, delivering medical supplies to ships is fast, efficient, and potentially lifesaving.

How Unimed delivers medical supplies to ships at sea

While ship-to-ship deliveries are possible and have indeed taken place in the past, they are expensive and unsustainable in the long run. Besides extreme weather conditions and complex coordination required between two moving vessels, the deliverer also needs proper environment controls to maintain the integrity of their medical supplies and comply with international regulations. With all these challenges, vessels cannot rely on ship-to-ship deliveries as their main source of medical support, let alone thousands of commercial vessels across the globe.

The solution? Resupply ships while they are in port or anchored. This removes the complexities of open sea navigation and saves time as ships can be resupplied when loading or unloading their cargo, ensuring their voyage remains on schedule.

Streamlined medical logistics from warehouse to vessel

The medical supplies begin their journey in Unimed's warehouses.

Unimed owns two warehouses in the APAC region, one in Singapore and the other in Perth, Australia. Strategically positioned at major ports, these warehouses supply commercial vessels passing through the APAC region on major global trade routes.

With Unimed’s Medscale providing complete visibility on each ship’s onboard medical chest, companies then order the medical supplies when necessary. The supplies are dispatched from either warehouse via a courier service such as DHL who delivers the resupply, either locally or internationally.

The supplies are delivered straight to the port where the ship is docked before being handed to an agent who makes the final delivery to the vessel.  Since the resupply takes place at the same time as the vessel is being loaded or unloaded, the ship wastes no extra time and is ready to continue to its next destination.

The combination of Unimed’s warehouse network and real-time inventory tracking platform is what makes their system reliable, intelligent, and global. “It gives our customers confidence that their fleet is always in compliance,” Eugene shares.

Speed and reliability with DHL Express

For Unimed, speed and reliability are essential qualities. Since commercial vessels usually only stay in port for several hours, medical resupplies must arrive and be delivered to the crew within this short window. Missing the delivery window can leave crew members ill-equipped to deal with medical emergencies and lead to potentially life-threatening situations.

DHL Express, with a global coverage of over 220 countries, coupled with Unimed’s warehouse network, solidifies the global reach of medical resupplies, ensuring maritime crew members preparedness for medical emergencies.

Just as important as delivery speed is having the proper paperwork for medical supplies to pass through customs. Given that commercial vessels can dock in any number of countries, having a clear understanding of each country’s rules and regulations is essential for smooth deliveries. DHL’s in-house customs specialists are well-equipped to handle medical device and drug regulations, ensuring all medical shipments are cleared through customs smoothly while coordinating with Unimed and abiding by international rules.

Strong commitment to delivering care

DHL Express and Unimed’s ongoing partnership is a testament to global interconnectivity and the strength of a reliable logistics network. DHL remains committed in supporting Unimed’s goal of saving lives and exploring new avenues of increasing the availability and convenience of medical supplies for maritime ships.

Whether you are starting out as a small business or a trusted brand looking to expand your reach, DHL Express provides the reliable logistics solutions for your growth and success.