Ship owners will have greater responsibility to provide medical care for those working on their vessel, under amendments tabled in the House of Assembly.Every seafarer will have a right to material assistance and support from the ship owner for the financial consequences of sickness, injury or death, as part of the Merchant Shipping (International Labour Organisation) Amendment Act.The original act has been modernised to take into account rulings from the ILO’s maritime labour convention from 2006, meaning the rules on ship owners’ liability for medical situations will be tightened up.Ship owners will also be required to provide free food and drinking water to workers, taking their cultural and religious backgrounds into account if necessary.