In keeping with growing awareness of the stresses of working at sea, maritime-service providers are making mental wellbeing tools more accessible. Maritime healthcare-specialist Vikand has partnered with technology company so that superyacht crew can get remote mental-health and medical care.
The partner is Navarino, which offers hardware, software, and connectivity solutions for maritime needs, including high-speed satellite service. A combination of its Infinity bandwidth-management solution and satellites will support Vikand’s OneHealth platform. OneHealth provides crew direct access to doctors and other medical professionals. Crew therefore can arrange video calls, for instance. They can also benefit from remote reading of vital peripherals and therefore receive a diagnosis. Further benefits include access to mental-wellness programs and even crisis intervention.
The two companies believe the partnership is coming at just the right time. Crew shortages are expected in the next several years, for example, according to maritime analysts. Vessels of all kinds, not just superyachts, need proper manning. Additionally, currently active crewmembers cite long work hours with little downtime as contributing to feelings of isolation and depression. Nearly 50 percent of superyacht crew are struggling, having considered leaving yachting due to stress, anxiety, isolation, burnout, poor leadership, fatigue, and more. These findings come from a survey by Quay Crew, polling more than 1,000 currently employed crew.
Dimitris Tsikopoulos, Navarino’s CEO, says, “Our solutions provide the ideal technological platform from which OneHealth by Vikand and its medical and mental-health management services can help ensure the overall health and wellbeing of those who live and work at sea.”
Peter Hult, Vikand’s CEO, says the partnership is a natural fit, “a win for our clients and for the maritime industry as a whole.”
Navarino navarino.co.uk
Vikand vikand.com
Leave a Reply