| GENERAL INFORMATION
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| KEYWORDS
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Marine medical certificate, mental health, bipolar disorder
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| FILE NO.
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MH-0382-28
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| SECTOR (Marine or Aviation)
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Marine
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| SPECIFIC JOB
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Seafarer / various jobs on a vessel over the years
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| DIAGNOSIS (Primary, Secondary, etc.)
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Bipolar Disorder Type I
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| REVIEW
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| DATE OF DETERMINATION
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September 15, 2015
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| MEMBER
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Dr. Christopher Brooks
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| DETERMINATION
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The member is referring the matter back to the Minister for reconsideration.
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| REASONS FOR THE DETERMINATION
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Refusal to issue a marine medical certificate (MMC) — The applicant is a seafarer who has suffered from and been treated for Bipolar Disorder Type I since 2005. As a result of new domestic and international regulations, he has recently had his MMC abruptly and permanently withdrawn. Since 2000, except for a break of only a few months in 2008 and 2013, he has been given an unlimited MMC six times until 2014. Since 2007, the applicant has been symptom-free on a steady unchanged dose of medication. The Minister’s position is that since the applicant is in a safety-critical job, and because of the introduction of the new IMO/ILO guidelines and the Physician Guide, the applicant is no longer considered fit to hold an MMC. From the applicant’s evidence, it seems that he is suffering from a mild case of the disorder and his prognosis is good. He has taken his medication regularly with no side effects and is compliant with psychiatric follow up. The weight of evidence leads the member to the opinion that the likelihood that the applicant may have a relapse of his Bipolar Disorder Type I is extremely low, especially as he has been exposed to multiple stressors at sea and long periods of absence from home for the last seven years and has not had a relapse. For these reasons, the member is referring the matter back to the Minister for reconsideration.
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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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