Aug 27: India’s maritime sector is facing a growing healthcare challenge as the wellbeing pressures associated with life at sea come into sharper focus. The 2025 SEAFiT Crew Survey Report, which highlights gathered responses from 21,775 seafarers across 1,703 vessels, recorded an overall Crew Wellness Index of 70.1percentage, down from 72.5percentage in 2024. The report also identified wellbeing as the weakest of its key indicators, at 61.1percentage, highlighting the continuing pressures around physical and mental wellbeing, sleep, nutrition, recreation and access to healthcare.
Behind this workforce growth is an important healthcare requirement. Seafarers often spend extended periods at sea in physically demanding environments, where access to comprehensive medical facilities can be limited. This makes medical fitness before deployment an important component of maritime safety, while also increasing the importance of reliable healthcare infrastructure on shore.
Among the healthcare providers supporting this evolving ecosystem is MedRabbits Healthcare and Clinic, which has entered maritime healthcare with DG Shipping certification to conduct mandatory pre employment medical examinations for Merchant Navy officers and crew. Its Mumbai clinic combines consultations with diagnostics including laboratory tests, ECG, TMT, X ray, sonography and audiometry, enabling multiple assessments under one roof. The certification extends MedRabbits’ integrated healthcare model to the specialised medical needs of seafarers, while helping streamline assessments for a workforce operating within strict deployment schedules.
Another provider contributing to this ecosystem is HealthChek Diagnostics, which offers specialised medical examinations for seafarers and maritime professionals in Delhi NCR. Its DG Shipping approved assessments cover physical fitness, vision, hearing and respiratory health, while its NABL accredited facilities provide blood and urine tests, ECG, TMT, pulmonary function testing, audiometry, X ray and ultrasound. By combining clinical assessments with diagnostics, the centre supports the medical requirements of India’s maritime workforce.
Based in Visakhapatnam, Medwale Medical Centre specialises in healthcare for the shipping and offshore sectors. As a DG Shipping approved medical centre, it provides pre-sea, periodic and pre employment medical examinations for seafarers, along with certification and referral services. The centre also offers Offshore Energies UK medical services for offshore personnel, supporting both maritime and offshore occupational healthcare. Its presence in Visakhapatnam further strengthens its role in supporting India’s growing shipping workforce.
In Bengaluru, Shipcrew Medical Centre provides specialised medical services for seafarers, including pre employment, CDC and CoC, cruise line, offshore and flag state examinations, along with vaccinations. Its assessments follow DG Shipping and applicable flag state guidelines, supported by in house laboratory and radiology services such as blood tests, chest X ray, ultrasound, ECG, TMT, 2D echo, audiometry and pulmonary function testing. The centre also offers telemedical support for seafarers at sea, extending its services beyond pre deployment medical assessments.
As India’s maritime workforce continues to grow alongside the country’s expanding role in global shipping, strengthening this healthcare ecosystem will become increasingly important. A growing seafaring workforce needs not only training and employment opportunities but also reliable medical infrastructure to ensure professionals are fit for life at sea. Providers such as MedRabbits Healthcare, HealthChek Diagnostics, Medwale Medical Centre and Shipcrew Medical Centre reflect this shift, moving maritime healthcare beyond standalone certification towards a more coordinated ecosystem that supports seafarers before and during their journeys at sea.