Suicide Attempts by Filipino Crew Members Demonstrate Need for Shipboard Psychologists

Suicide Attempts by Filipino Crew Members Demonstrate Need for Shipboard Psychologists
Jim Walker November 4, 2019 https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2019/11/articles/crew-member-rights/suicid...

Today, the popular Crew Center published two articles regarding recent attempts by Filipino seafarers to end their lives.

First, Crew Center mentioned a 24-year-old Filipino crew member, employed by MSC Cruises as a buffet steward, who reportedly posted several comments on social media regarding the long work hours and the little rest during his first contract on the MSC Meraviglia.

“Is that so? 12 hrs duty daily, 4-6 hrs sleep. Let’s just smile. 9 Months of hell here we go.
Tired from work. The mind is tired. Tired brain. Tired body. Tired everything. It seems like I’m giving up.”
The unidentified ship employee also was reportedly experiencing problems with his shipboard girlfriend. A Maitre’d and a Buffet Manager responded to the emergency by going to the crew member’s cabin and reportedly requested emergency medical treatment. The crew member was treated at a hospital in Boston.

Crew Center reported that guests on the MSC ship posted photographs on Facebook of emergency medical vehicles arriving at the ship when it was at port in Boston. They stated “we were guests on board, we saw his unfortunate disembark. Unfortunately, these cases are becoming more frequent. We consider that permanent psychological assistance for the crew on board of the cruise ships is necessary. They work very hard!”

Crew Center also reports on an attempted suicide by a second Fiipino Seafarer who worked in the galley on the Oceania Riviera. The incident was first made public on the Filipino Seafarer Facebook page called “Buhay Sa Cruise Ship.” (https://www.facebook.com/RinellBandaBSCS/posts/1701812939949916)

Crew Center reports that the incident occured while the cruise ship was in Saguenay, Quebec on November 2nd. The Canadian Coast Guard performed a medical evacuation and rushed the crew member to the hospital.

Crew members from around the world, including the Philippines which supplies the largest number of seafarers in the world to the cruise lines, have little support from the cruise industry and none from the U.S. government. There is an obvious need for the wealthy cruise lines to hire shipboard psychologists for the hard working crew and to support the employees during their long contracts at sea.