Question 1

Why Rucha Enterprises?

Accepted Answer

Rucha Enterprises, an ISO 9001-2015 company, has served the Ship Industry for the past 25 years maintaining the highest standard of supply. We are proud of our reputation as a dependable source for medical supplies and equipment. Our global experience allows us to offer our customers a wide range of services ranging from supply, maintenance and certification to the vessels. We are among the world's leading medical suppliers to the marine industry.

Question 2

What standard procedure do we follow?

Accepted Answer

The supply of medical items on board of vessels worldwide needs to be done in accordance with the flag state of each vessel. e.g. HongKong flagged vessel needs to have medical chest in accordance with the flag state regulations. We check the medical chest inventory on board the respective vessels and prepare shortfall after comparing it with standard flag state medical scale. Thus the vessel get the required requisition readymade with our expertise and knowledge.

Question 3

What are the requirements to issue the certificate?

Accepted Answer

It is clear which regulation or medical flag scale needs to be onboard of a vessel, the following aspects determine the certificate compliance requirements:
 
1. The number of crew onboard.
2. Is the vessel certified to carry dangerous cargo?
3. No of lifeboat kits aboard the vessel.
4. Is vessel likely to be trading in malaria or Ebola or flu infested area?
5. IMO no, Call Sign, and official number of the vessel.
6. Latest updated medical chest inventory.

Question 4

What are the conditions to be fulfilled for certificate renewal?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the expiry date of the certificate in most cases we replenish your stock for six months or a year. This means we will replenish what has expired , that which is not on board but should be according to the regulation. This includes first aid kids for the lifeboats too.

Question 5

What do we do when an item is due to expire?

Accepted Answer

Every ship’s hospital has a medical logbook in which the used medicines are suppose to be recorded. Before the new certificate is issued, all medicines that have expiry within next 4 months are replaced. Most of our medicines have long expiry dates about 2-3 years. So when an item will expire, a new one should already be there in the locker to avoid penalty by pc inspection. Items that will expire soon or already expired should be kept in a separate carton box for destruction.

Question 6

How do I prepare a physical inventory?

Accepted Answer

Make the medical inventory of your locker shelf by shelf. The new inventory list will have expiry dates of both the medicines and the medical equipments. Check the description, strength and quantity of each item. Please also fill multiple expiry dates of certain medicine in new inventory. Please send the latest updated medical inventory to us. Based on the agreement with your management, we will send a quotation for certificate renewal. We will arrange delivery as per instructions from your company.

Question 7

What are the restricted items?

Accepted Answer

Restricted items cannot be airfreighted abroad from India. They can be categorized as below.
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1. Narcotics or controlled drugs. Different flag state medical scales state that the vessel need to be compliant with these drugs, however respective laws in different countries prohibits free trading of theses controlled drugs freely all over. As these drugs are different in every country, the possibility of a local substitute occurs or it cannot be delivered at all.
 
2. Flammable items such as sprays, cans and alcohol and refrigerated items (medicines that need cold storage) cannot be connected by airfreight due to IATA regulations.

Question 8

Why do I need a certificate?

Accepted Answer

The medical chest certificate is an official document to show that medical locker on board is up to the standards set by particular flag state.

Question 9

What about ship carrying dangerous cargo?

Accepted Answer

If the vessel is carrying dangerous cargo as per IMDG, then it is necessary to compliance the certificate as per IMDG regulations. We issue these after checking medicines on board.

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