A seldom type of passenger ship that is not used for touristic activities is the hospital ship, the vast majority of which are navy units. In order to obtain protection under the Geneva Convention, the outer skin of hospital ships is white with a red stripe and large red crosses on the chimney and hull. Only a few are operated by civilian organizations. The Soviet passenger and ro-ro ship MIKHAIL SUSLOV, in which car deck Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven installed a modern eye clinic for use off the coasts of developing countries in 1989, was prepared for this task at great financial expense. In Germany a number of civilian hospital ships were operated, including the ferry HELGOLAND and the converted general cargo vessel FLORA, which were operated in Southeast Asia by the German Red Cross. Other passenger ships regularly operated from Hamburg and Bremen in the Helgoland traffic as WAPPEN OF HAMBURG and BREMERHAVEN as well as the coaster PADUA built in 1964 were prepared for short-term deployment in the event of war or disaster, but only performed such tasks during manoeuvres.
Floating Hospitals and Rescue Vessels
International Shipping ; Kapitel : 12 ; 695-699
2022-11-03
5 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch