Medical Education and Maritime Health: A Proposal for a Guide to Issuing the Seafarer Medical Certificate in Costa Rica

Abstract

Maritime medical certification is essential to protect seafarers’ health and ensure compliance with international conventions. In Costa Rica, there is no official technical guideline for this process, which generates regulatory, ethical-legal, and training gaps, as well as heterogeneity in the clinical criteria applied. This qualitative and descriptive study, conducted between May and October 2023, included a documentary review of the STCW and MLC 2006 conventions, IMO/ILO guidelines, national regulations, and scientific literature, along with interviews with 25 physicians from the Central Pacific region. The findings revealed the absence of national guidelines, lack of specialized training, and variability in the issuance of the Seafarer Medical Certificate. Data triangulation supported the development of a preliminary technical guideline with four components: legislative and administrative framework, evaluator training, standardized clinical protocol, and official certificate format. This proposal aims to standardize assessments, strengthen legal certainty, and improve the protection of seafarers’ health.