Hi, & welcome to CF!
I can't speak to your locale, specifically, as I'm (currently) US based. But there are a few "standard" routes when putting together on
offshore medical kit.
Also, investigating/planning such, is wise on your part.
- Do some digging into what goes into an ORC (Offshore
Racing Council) & similar Governing
Racing bodies, mandated first aid kits. And then start asking at some of the various Yacht Clubs how they get theirs assembled.
Typically there will be a number of persona on the Club's rosters who can field such questions. As can Skippers & crew who do any degree of
offshore racing. And odds are they'll know of some MD's who will/may be willing to assist you with putting together such kits.
- Talk to your MD, & tell him/her what your plans are. And also have the lists of what goes into these types of kits (with you at the time when you ask). So that it's obvious why you need such.
As there are no MD's or
Emergency Rooms offshore, etc.
- Talk to some First Responders; Paramedics, EMT's, Military Medics, etc. & get their suggestions... On sources for supplies & Meds, as well as for courses which you can take in order to learn more on the subjects.
And if you have the time & inclination, you could get started in the training to become one. I did as much here, by just starting out my training as a Volunteer Fireman, to begin with.
FYI: Those with "Street Level" experience, like Military Medics, Nurses, EMT's, etc. will probably be able to give you the most amount of hands on knowledge & expertise in handling things/what to prep for.
- It pays to have your MD send an official letter with you stating what's in your
med kit (preferably in several common languages). Specifiying; what, & in what amounts.
- Pills, generally, are preferable to injectables. As they draw less attention of folks assuming that such
equipment is for the wrong intentions. And they're easily accountable for.
- If/when you have to use something from your kit that's other than for basic, daily stuff, such needs to be noted in the ship's log.
And putting copies of the MD's letter, & meds list into said log is wise also.
- Talking to other cruisers is a good source of info, especially on the latest for wherever you plan to visit next, & is/may also be on your planned visitation (or
emergency stop) list.
And hopefully other members here will chime in on this. But I'm thinking that it might be wise, to gently question some officialdom, like embassies & travel sections of various govts about all of the above too.
While some of this is intimidating, most places which have yachts coming & going regularly are used to dealing with such things. That, & how you conduct yourself; in general, & regarding handling this aspect of travel, is the big one.
For trauma items, a place to start is
www.NArescue.com & more often than not, a lot of the
gear, kits, & items which they carry, can be found in the usual, aftermarket locales, for Far cheaper than their listed prices.
However, the lists which they have for dealing with various types of traumas are handy ones. Ditto on some of their reference material. It's leagues beyond anything you'll find in recreational kits,
references, or texts.
Also, Practical Sailor (& others) routinely review
med kits. But IMO, said "consumer" kits are primarily for the untrained. As, if you think through what kinds of medical stuff you'll likely have to deal with, you can put together your own kits to be far, far more capable.
The basis for what goes into your kit too, depends a lot upon:
- Your level of training & or
certification.
- Your planned longest passage/distance from a port (for real medical help).
For example, if you're going to the trouble (& expense) of
buying gear for burn care, you need to know how much of what, to realistically
purchase.
- Your
communications range & setup. As with long range comms, it's a lot easier to get help in dealing with a medical situation. And this is worth studying on too.
- The number of crew onboard (maximum, not just you & your other half).
PS: - If you Really get into a bind on the meds thing, contact me. As there are other (fairly easy sources for them) but I prefer not to post such.
Also, on supplies & training, if finding specifics is proving tough, given a bit of time, I can likely scare some up. Though there's little shortage of info out there on the
internet, once you start following links. But again, start with long distance racers, & go from there... possibly over on Sailing Anarchy
Forums.
Though, naught beats face to fact time, when it comes to finding solutions