Whether you work on a cargo ship or you are a fisherman in a fishing vessel or you are hospitality personnel on a cruise liner or staffing an oil tanker - working at sea is not easy.

All the community of seafarers share in common is to experience:
  • High-pressure work
  • Long hours
  • Close quarters
  • Heavy labour
  • Little room for error
  • Homesickness
  • Seasickness
In GVA we work towards offering to every mariner peace of mind either at sea or ashore when they may be sick or injured. Within GVA Alarm Centres, many of the Doctors have experienced sea life in their past career. This helps us to understand the specifics and needs of the maritime community.

Medical Assistance worldwide for crew & passengers

At Sea
  • Remote Medical Support 24/7
    • Medical Advice at Sea
    • Telemedicine
  • Port & Harbour Medical Referral
  • Customized Medical Network by the port
  • Medical Evacuation & Repatriation (ICU Doctor Escort)
  • Medical Case Management and payment of medical expenses
  • Medical Specialists’ second opinion
  • Medicine Dispatch
  • Funeral Service & Repatriation
  • Medical Cost Control
  • Cost Containment of medical claims arising in the territory of USA
  • Fraud Investigation
On Shore
  • 24/7 access to GVA Alarm Centre (Ukraine, Bulgaria) for seafarers and their family members
  • Medical Advice
  • Arrangement of Emergency Ambulance Service
  • Arrangement of Medical Out-patient Services (consultations, diagnostics, lab tests, dental, glasses and pharmaceuticals prescribed, etc.)
  • Arrangement of In-patient (hospitalization, surgery, day care treatment, GVA doctor’s remote monitoring)
  • Medicine Dispatch
  • Arrangement of Health Rehabilitation Services
  • Direct Settlement of medical claims with clinics and hospitals
  • Cost Control and discount negotiations
  • Arrangement of Second Opinion for Seafarer’s Medical Condition
Our Clients
  • P&I Clubs and P&I Correspondents
  • Ship Owners and Ship Managers
  • Cruise Lines
  • Maritime Insurance Companies
Maritime Medical Assistanсe

At Sea

GVA has an experience in managing maritime medical cases since 2007. The GVA Group has set up dedicated 24/7 Maritime Operations of combined resources in Odessa & Moscow Alarm Centres and also has a supporting medical team at Manila. GVA clients are international P&I Clubs and Maritime Insurers, ship owners and ship managers in various geographical regions, from Cyprus and Greece to USA and Asia. GVA is a well-known medical provider for the Clubs of International Group of P&I Clubs.

GVA Maritime Medical Network

Our clients contact us from any worldwide location from their ship when an emergency medical case for a seafarer occurs. GVA ICU-trained doctors (many of them with previous experience in remote projects, on ships and offshore) evaluate a medical problem with a seafarer at the sea and provide recommendations and alternatives in regard of either treating of a sick seafarer on a vessel or arranging an appropriate clinic or hospital close to the next port. GVA has developed a network of medical facilities in proximity to many major global ports of call, and if needed can guarantee and pay medical expenses on behalf of P&I Club or a ship owner.

Medical Bills Cost Containment and Fraud Investigation

GVA is focused on minimizing the medical costs in USA; and whenever medically possible, GVA make arrangements with Walk-in Clinics delivering urgent care to avoid highly-priced emergency rooms in hospitals. In cases where a patient is admitted to hospital, GVA remotely monitors their condition and obtains medical reports from the treating doctor; as well as controlling the costs generated by the hospital. Our GVA doctors assess medical bills both in regard of procedures and items’ costs and undertake cost containment in USA and/or other regions. As well as monitoring instances of inflated costs, GVA is involved in investigation of suspicious medical bills. To combat against medical scams GVA has set up an in–house Fraud Investigation Department (FID) staffed with a lawyer, doctors and with access to specialists with intelligence background.

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Medical Evacuation of Seafarers

Once a patient is fit to fly, a decision can be taken regarding repatriation of a seafarer back to their home country. GVA doctors are fully licensed and covered by international malpractice insurance to do the medical escort. When an evacuation by a scheduled flight is not possible, GVA can arrange for an air ambulance.

Patient Navigation

GVA is an expert in Patient Navigation for critical diseases. The maritime industry benefits from GVA’s know-how as we can give referrals to medical facilities for treatment outside the place of the seafarer’s residence; or provide an alternative medical facility when the patient is hospitalized in a jurisdiction incurring high-cost medical services. Upon requests from our clients, GVA can arrange for the Second Opinion for Seafarer’s Medical Condition.

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Rehabilitation at Seafarer’s Place of Domicile

GVA provides the arrangements for the rehabilitation process for seafarers that is essential in their recovery and in their ability of returning to their job at the sea. The presence of GVA offices in Odessa makes it possible to provide the best local ground ambulance and hospital arrangements after a Ukrainian seafarer is returned back home; GVA Varna office offers the same advantage in regard of seamen from all over Europe. GVA Group provides repatriations of seafarers to Baltic States, Georgia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and other locations. For Philippines seafarers GVA has extended its capabilities by the presence of an appointed ICU Philippines doctor and a local agent in Manila. Understanding the maritime insurance specifics, international standards of medical assistance operations and competitive pricing are the key factors of GVA success in maritime assistance. Maritime Medical Assistanсe

On Shore

An onshore coverage of medical expenses both for the crew on leave and for their families and dependents on 365 day-a-year basis is a benefit that helps promote staff loyal to their employer. GVA can undertake the arrangement of services for any medical or accident insurance program for the seafarers and their dependents in their home country in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) or Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia), or any other required region. A seafarer or his family member gets access to call GVA 24/7 Alarm Centres in Ukraine and Bulgaria for any medical problem. GVA refers and arranges on a cashless basis a doctor visit, diagnostics, ambulance, hospitalization, dental care or any other medical service that is covered by the terms & conditions of the seafarer’s medical plan. For every medical case, GVA checks the medical service needed against the seafarer’s medical insurance plan and any applicable deductible, and arranges direct payment to the medical facility within the limits of coverage. The key components of GVA managing an onshore medical programme are the following: appropriate medical service for a seafarer–direct settlement of claim - cost control for the insurer or ship owner. Thanks to an extensive network of medical providers worldwide GVA is capable of setting up an onshore program in practically any manning location.