AMA Seeks Rules for Care on Cruise Ships

The American Medical Assn. has passed a resolution calling for the development of medical standards for cruise ships. The AMA noted that the elderly, as well as those with complex medical problems, often take cruises, and it said there are no industry-wide regulations for medical care.

The resolution urged the development of standards for general and emergency care on cruise ships that sail in U.S. waters. It recommended that the AMA make its doctors and their patients more aware of the limited medical services available aboard ships.

Although the AMA resolution carries no legal weight, it is nonetheless influential. Dr. Juan Wester, who introduced the measure at the AMA’s annual meeting in Chicago, said many cruise lines hire foreign-trained doctors and nurses who may not be licensed to practice in the United States. In addition, virtually all the cruise ships that call at U.S. ports are foreign-owned and cannot be held responsible in U.S. courts for the care they provide.

In the most recent large-scale health incident aboard a cruise ship, 52 travelers became sick from an unidentified virus aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines vessel that docked in San Pedro last month after a weeklong trip to Mexico.

The head of the International Council of Cruise Lines said the council’s 19 member companies are setting up their own health care guidelines.