The Polar Code and Telemedicine

Abstract

One result of a warmer global climate is increased maritime activity in the Arctic. Areas that used to be covered by ice and snow are now accessible for the scientific community and commercial users. The Norwegian government has chosen tourism as a pillar of the economy of Svalbard and facilitates the development of the tourism industry. Aase and Jabour have shown that tourist vessels sail as far north as 82° N, beyond the range of geostationary satellites. The Polar Code states that appropriate communication equipment to enable telemedical assistance in polar areas shall be provided. This paper describes a series of functional telemedicine tests carried out on board the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel NoCGV Svalbard during her transit between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland in September 2019. Communication was established between the vessel and Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, using the new Iridium NEXT constellation of communication satellites. Our tests show that medical services that require low bandwidths work.