Requirements For Merchant Navy Medical Test

Having the right qualifications and a passion for life at sea does not guarantee a job in the Merchant Navy. To enter a Merchant Navy course, you must possess the physical fitness and medical requirements to work on a ship.

Candidates must be physically and mentally fit and have no physical defects that would prevent effective performance at sea. 

To be declared fit for selection, candidates must be physically and mentally healthy and free from any defects that may interfere with the effective performance of their duties. The Directorate General of Shipping sets these medical requirements subject to change. Read on to find out if you are physically fit to join the Merchant Navy, following Merchant Navy medical test should be considered in particular:

Structure

There should be no evidence of poor physical fitness due to incomplete muscle development or severe deformities. Height must be at least 157 cm with proportional weight and a proportional chest with an expansion of at least 5 cm.

Skeletal

There should be no disease or impaired function of bones or joints. The candidate must also be free from any contraction or deformity of the chest or any joint. There should also not be any abnormal curvature of the spine, nor should there be any deformities in the legs and feet such as bow legs, patellar joints or flat feet. Deformities such as upper limb deformities, head deformities, skull fractures, depressions, etc. must not be present. In addition, the presence of nails in healed fractures is also a reason for exclusion.

Ear, Nose, Throat

There should be no hearing loss, discharge or disease in either ear, unhealed tympanic membrane perforation, signs of acute or chronic otitis media, evidence of mastoid radiculopathy or alteration, and no congenital abnormalities of the ears. The average unaided thresholds for both ears must be greater than 40 dB at 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz, and/or functional speech discrimination must be less than 90% at 55 dB for both ears. Candidates must be able to hear whispered speech at 5 meters to either side without the use of hearing aids.

Candidates must not suffer from any nasal bone and cartilage disease, nasal polyps, nasopharyngeal or paranasal sinus disease.

The loss or decay of teeth should not affect effective chewing. There must also be no evidence of any throat, palate, tonsil, or gum disease or any disease or injury that affects the normal function of the temporomandibular joint. People with severe sore throats will also be rejected.

Speech

There should be no speech impairment or weakness, such as excessive stuttering or noticeable stammering.

Lymphatic System

All candidates must have a normally functioning glandular system with no signs of tuberculous hyperplasia or abnormalities due to other diseases in the neck or other body parts.

Cardiovascular System

There should be no heart or vascular disease. The electrocardiogram should be within normal limits. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure should not exceed 140 and 90 mmHg.

Respiratory System

There should be no evidence of chronic disease, upper respiratory tract disease, tuberculosis or history of such diseases. Chest X-ray should be normal.

Digestive System

There should be no evidence of any gastrointestinal disease and the liver and spleen should not be palpable. There should be no abdominal pain on palpation.

Genitourinary System

The kidneys should not be palpable, enlarged, or diseased. Candidates with white urine, blood sugar, or red blood cells in the urine will not be accepted. There should be no hernia or tendency to hernia. Those who have undergone hernia surgery can be declared healthy as long as:

One year after the surgery (documentation required);

The general tone of the abdominal muscles is good;

There should be no recurrence of hernia or complications of surgery.

There should be no edema, varicose veins, ejaculatory or any other abnormalities of the reproductive organs. There should be no fistulas and/or anal fissures, hemorrhoids or polyps in the rectum. There should be no active or congenital potential sexually transmitted diseases. Candidates with undescended testicles retained in the inguinal canal or adnexal ring will not be accepted.

Skin

There should be no skin diseases except temporary or minor ones. Scars that could cause disability due to their extent or location.

Nervous System

Candidates or their family members should not have a history or evidence of mental illness. Candidates with a history of epilepsy, incontinence or urinary incontinence will not be accepted. Mental or nervous irritability, gait dysfunction, cranial nerve dysfunction, lack of coordination or motor or sensory dysfunction are grounds for exclusion.

Sight

Candidates must not have any degree of strabismus or eye or eyelid disease that may worsen or recur. They should also not have symptoms of trachoma pressure or complications or sequelae of iris. Candidates must have good binocular vision (binocular fusion ability and full visual field). Eye movements should be accomplished in all directions and pupils should react and adapt normally to light.

Uncorrected distance visual acuity is 0.5 (6/12) in each eye, 0.67 (6/9) in the better eye and 0.33 (6/18) in the other eye. Color blindness is not permitted.

Normal color vision should be tested using the Ishihara test card. Candidates may also be disqualified for any other defect which, in the opinion of the examining physician, interferes with or impairs the individual’s ability to perform adequately as a merchant marine officer.

OTHER TESTS

In addition, candidates may be required to undergo drug and/or HIV testing at the time of the medical examination or at any later stage during the program.