If you are on board a vessel, anywhere in the world, and you find yourself in a position where a sick or injured person needs treatment, you can ask for advice free of charge from the Netherlands Radio Medical Service (RMA).

Dutch physicians have been advising seafarers since 1931. This service was initially provided by doctors at the Red Cross Hospital in The Hague, with the assistance of Scheveningen Radio. In 1967, this advisory role was adopted - still under the auspices of the Red Cross - by GPs with a knowledge of and affinity with the maritime sector. Technological developments made it possible to dispense with the services of Scheveningen Radio in the late 1990s. The RMA became a department of the Royal Dutch Lifeboat Association (KNRM) on 1 January 1999, while requests for advice are currently handled by the Netherlands Coastguard.