Call for action to make defibrillators mandatory on all merchant vessels
(Posted on 11/03/26)
The message from MarinePALS CEO Captain Pradeep Chawla is clear: “We have waited too long. It is time to make defibrillators mandatory on board,” as he calls on the maritime industry and the International Maritime Organization to mandate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on all merchant vessels to prevent avoidable deaths at sea.
The difference between life and death in sudden cardiac arrest can be four minutes. Survival falls by around ten per cent for every minute without defibrillation. When automated external defibrillators are used within the first few minutes, survival rates can reach 50 to 70 per cent. Without defibrillation, survival is unlikely.
Yet there is still no universal requirement for merchant vessels to carry AEDs. More than 1.6 million seafarers work in one of the most medically isolated environments in the world. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death at sea, accounting for approximately half of all natural deaths among seafarers. When a cardiac arrest occurs on board, professional medical assistance may be hours away. In the critical early minutes, the crew are the only available responders.
Doctor Surbhi Chawla said: “Sudden cardiac arrest is time critical. An AED used within the first few minutes can more than double a person’s chance of survival. These devices are designed for lay responders. When we know early defibrillation saves lives, failing to ensure access becomes a regulatory issue, not a medical one.”
MarinePALS CEO, Captain Pradeep Chawla, said: “We mandate lifeboats. We mandate fire safety systems. We mandate lifesaving appliances. But we do not universally mandate a basic, affordable device that can restart a human heart.”
He added: “If a cardiac arrest happens at sea, there is no ambulance arriving within minutes. Without an AED on board, survival is extremely unlikely. MarinePALS trains crews to respond to medical emergencies through training. But training alone is not enough. Crews must have the right equipment. Mandating AEDs on all merchant vessels is a simple, evidence-based step that will save lives.”
MarinePALS is urging flag states, regulators and industry leaders to support its campaign and introduce mandatory AED carriage alongside structured cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator training for crew.
Captain Pradeep Chawla said: “For seafarers working far from shore-based emergency services, access to defibrillation should not be optional. It should be obligatory.”
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