Health and well-being AIM

Health and well-being on the vessel

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AIM guides Philippine seafarers when they return home from work due to an illness or accident and assists them in the rehabilitation process. However an illness can always appear, one can do several things to try and prevent illnesses and accidents from happening. Taking good care of health and well-being on the vessel is very important.

Healthy diet

One of the things that can be done is maintaining a healthy diet by offering varied food and making sure it is nutritious. Other important things are: adequate rest and sleep, regular exercise and keeping a good hygiene.

Good hygiene

Talking about good hygiene, one can think of many things that can be done. Some examples are: always washing hands before eating and after using the bathroom, brushing teeth daily, protecting the skin from weather influences, etc.

Following the safety instructions

Another important aspect in prevention is following the safety instructions of the vessel. Sometimes it is required to wear special gear for protection like a special suit or helmet or to use safety lines. These instructions are there for a reason and it is important that they are followed, For each and everyone’s safety.

And in case a seafarer does get ill of experiences an accident, AIM’s team will be there to take excellent care of the seafarer.

Jerome Ramientas AIM

President AIM Manila visits The Netherlands

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Jerome Ramientas, President of AIM Manila, went to The Netherlands on a business trip last October 2017. Being his first time, the experience to him was profound from day one up to the last day of his stay. Being his first time to Europe, he remarked that the first thing that greeted him after emerging from the airplane was the cold temperature at 9˚C. This was far different from the usual 27˚C to 30˚C prevailing in Manila, Philippines.

Doing business in The Netherlands

After a day of rest, his official visit to AIM’s clients followed. Each visit included the tasks of formally introducing AIM, discussing its objectives, how AIM works and the benefits obtained from its services. Concerns and questions from the clients were addressed and explained. Doing business on the other side of the world is quite different, but a great challenge.

Getting to know The Netherlands

During his trip Jerome visited several cities while meeting AIM’s clients, this gives him the opportunity to know The Netherlands a bit better. His trips took him all the way from Rotterdam visiting the harbor, to Delfzijl, where he had a pleasant tour, to Leer, Germany where crossing a country border without any checkpoints was a new experience.

During this trip also, Jerome finally met the people in person whom he usually communicates only by e-mails and video-chat. Further, staying at The Netherlands gave him an insight of how Dutch people work, think, feel and go on in their daily life.

AIM is for crew recovery

Over-all, his trip to The Netherlands was a success. The response of all clients was positive and encouraging. Jerome was able to show that AIM is working on the human side of the seafarers. That each seafarer who gets sick or experiences an accident while working on a ship deserves personal attention and care. And that by doing so, all thoughts and tendency to bring a claim is being diminished, if not completely prevented. After all, AIM is for crew recovery, not for anything else.

News AIM

Sick wages

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When the seafarer gets ill, the crewing agent is obliged to pay the seafarer sick wages. Even when the seafarer reported ill after returning to his home country. If the crewing agent does not pay, this can lead to claims. And of course, our goal is to prevent for unnecessary claims. AIM recently resolved a case like this. 

What was the case?

A Philippine seafarer was not feeling quite well during his work on board, however he did not mention this to the captain and he didn’t ask for consultation of a doctor.

Not fit for duty

When he returned to Manila, he consulted a doctor on his own initiative. The doctor concluded that the seafarer was sick and not fit for duty. Based on the rights described in the POEA, the seafarer is entitled to 120 days of sick wages payment. Unfortunately, the crew agent was not aware of this. And as a result the sick wages were not paid. The seafarer ran into financial problems because he was unable to pay for his medical bills, medicines and could no longer support his family. The seafarer was convinced that his illness was job related.

The absence of sick wages caused so much frustration at the seafarer, that he looked for legal assistance…a claim was made!

Sick wages

Eventually the misunderstanding was resolved and the sick wages were transferred to the seafarers bank account. With AIM’s help, all frustration that the seafarer had were resolved and good care was provided. In the end, no claim was submitted to the NLRC.

Conclusion

In conclusion of this case: payment of sick wages is very important and should also be continued after a contract period ends according to the POEA rules.

News AIM

Unforgettable experience of an AIM’s Operation Assistant

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One of the tasks of AIM, is to inform the immediate family of the repatriated crew member, that airport assistance will be provided upon arrival of the seafarer. And that he will be accommodated in AIM’s Guest house if his check up will take place on the following day.

Pick up from the Airport

It happened that one crew member who was accused and placed on “Hotel Arrest” for 19 months was endorsed to AIM to check on his medical condition once back in the country. Thus, a telephone call was made and the sister was informed. Specifically, the sister was told that upon arrival of the crew member late in the evening, he would be staying at AIM’s Guest house as he would be seen by the doctor the next morning. She was also advised that staying at the Guest house is not mandatory but in case the crew member was not willing to stay he would be asked to sign a waiver. The sister took all the instructions and said “OK”.

That night, thinking that the encounter will be another routine airport pickup, AIM’s Operations Assistant went to Manila’s airport to fetch the crew. Never expecting that something extraordinary would happen.

When the crew member arrived, he and his family did not approach AIM’s Operations Assistant but asked him to meet them inside the airport. When he went there he was very surprised to be met by the seafarer and family, AMOSUP lawyers and a camera crew ganging up on him.

Misunderstanding

The reason, as he came to know, was that the sister misunderstood AIM’s offer to accommodate the crew member in the Guest house. Instead, she thought that her brother was placed under house arrest again, which she thought was not right considering that the crew member was judged innocent after being placed under Hotel Arrest for 19 months. Luckily AIM’s Operation Assistant is a professional registered nurse and he was able to explain that the purpose of AIM was only to look into the health and well-being of the seafarer after his ordeal abroad. That accommodating the crew in the Wellness House is part of AIM’s services so that repatriated seafarers do not need to look for a hotel or place to stay when their medical check-up will take place on the following day.

Having understood AIM’s services and purpose, the seafarer signed the waiver. He went to see the doctor the following morning assisted by AIM’s Operations Assistant.

Fit to work

Eventually he was declared fit to work later that day. Thus, another case handled well by AIM and leaving AIM’s Operations Assistant with an unforgettable experience.