| GENERAL INFORMATION
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| KEYWORDS
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Marine medical certificate, geographical limitations, medication, anticoagulant, bleeding risk
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| FILE NO.
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MH-0241-21
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| SECTOR (Marine or Aviation)
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Marine
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| SPECIFIC JOB
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Officer of the watch and a dynamic positioning officer on a pipe-laying vessel
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| DIAGNOSIS (Primary, Secondary, etc.)
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Pulmonary Embolism
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| REVIEW
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| DATE OF DETERMINATION
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November 27, 2014
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| MEMBER
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Dr. Christopher Brooks
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| DETERMINATION
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The member upholds the Minister’s decision.
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| REASONS FOR THE DETERMINATION
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Issuance of a Near Coastal Class II (NCCII) marine medical certificate (MMC) — In 2001, the applicant was initially issued an unlimited MMC. She suffered a pulmonary embolism in 2003 and was put on Coumadin anticoagulant medication which was discontinued after several months. However, the applicant suffered a second pulmonary embolism in 2009. When her MMC came up for renewal in 2010, at that time, new ILO/IMO guidelines were still being developed. As she presented a very positive hematology report, it was planned to issue her a limited contiguous waters MMC. Due to an oversight by Transport Canada (TC), however, she was issued an unlimited MMC on July 15, 2010 which expired on February 12, 2012. Then, as a result of the implementation of the new ILO/IMO guidelines by Canada and the new TC Physician Guide (2011), she was issued a more stringent MMC that restricted her to NCCII. The Minister maintains that seafarers should be excluded for active duty due to the potential harm if any bleeding should occur and they cannot be treated quickly within a three-hour time frame. The member agrees with this argument and upholds the Minister’s decision to issue the applicant an NCCII MMC.
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| APPEAL
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| DATE OF DECISION
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| MEMBERS
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| DECISION
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| REASONS FOR THE DECISION
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| OTHER/COMMENTS
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