PAN-PAN or MAYDAY: making the medical call
1The lesson in plain words
Most medical calls are PAN-PAN urgency calls. Use MAYDAY only when a life is in grave and imminent danger and immediate help is needed.
Which priority
MAYDAY is a distress call: a person or vessel is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance. PAN-PAN is an urgency call: a serious problem that needs prompt help, but not that level of danger. A crew member who is unresponsive, not breathing normally or bleeding heavily despite treatment can justify MAYDAY. A worsening illness that needs a doctor's advice is usually PAN-PAN.
DSC first
With a DSC radio, send an urgency alert, to all stations or to the coast station, then speak on Channel 16. Use distress alerting only for a MAYDAY. The buttons differ between radios; see GMDSS: DSC and distress calls. Without DSC, call by voice on Channel 16. The coastguard will move you to a working channel and connect the doctor.
What to say
Say PAN-PAN three times. Name the station three times, or say "All stations" three times. Say "This is", your boat’s name three times, your call sign and MMSI (your radio’s nine-digit identity). Say "I require medical advice". Give your position and a brief description of the problem. End with "Over".
No "PAN-PAN MEDICO"
Some older courses taught PAN-PAN MEDICO. It is not an international procedure word. In the radio rules, PAN-PAN followed by the word MEDICAL, pronounced "MAY-DEE-CAL", identifies protected medical transports such as hospital ships. For a yacht, use a normal PAN-PAN and say that you require medical advice.
If it gets worse
Upgrade to MAYDAY if there is grave and imminent danger and immediate help is needed. If help is no longer needed, tell the coastguard and agree stand-down. Cancel any all-stations urgency message by voice to all stations on the original broadcast channel, coordinated with the coastguard. Keep listening as the coastguard directs.
2Key data
- MAYDAY
- Grave and imminent danger; immediate assistance needed
- PAN-PAN
- Urgency: serious, prompt help, not grave and imminent
- Typical medical call
- PAN-PAN ×3; station ×3; boat ×3; call sign; MMSI; medical advice
- DSC
- Urgency alert, then voice on Channel 16
- MEDICAL (MAY-DEE-CAL)
- Reserved for protected medical transports
- Spanish term
- Consulta radio médica; PAN-PAN (urgencia)
3Key points
- 1
MAYDAY: grave and imminent danger to life, immediate help needed.
- 2
PAN-PAN: urgent, serious problem; most requests for medical advice.
- 3
With DSC: urgency alert, then voice on Channel 16.
- 4
Say "I require medical advice"; do not use "PAN-PAN MEDICO".
- 5
Upgrade to MAYDAY if there is grave and imminent danger requiring immediate help.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Any medical problem at sea justifies a MAYDAY.
Right: MAYDAY is for grave and imminent danger needing immediate help. Most requests for medical advice are PAN-PAN.
Wrong: Begin a request for advice with "PAN-PAN MEDICO".
Right: It is not an international procedure word. Use PAN-PAN and say "I require medical advice".
Wrong: Once you have called PAN-PAN you cannot change to MAYDAY.
Right: If the casualty's life comes into grave and imminent danger, send a MAYDAY at once.
5Practice case & exam keys
On passage 30 miles offshore, a crew member has had chest pain for 20 minutes. He is pale and sweaty but awake and breathing. Your radio has DSC. How do you call, and what priority do you use?
Show the answer
Persistent chest pain with pallor and sweating may be life-threatening even while he is awake and breathing. Treat this as grave and imminent danger: send a DSC distress alert, then call MAYDAY on Channel 16. Give your position and symptoms, and request immediate assistance. Do not wait for collapse. Follow medical advice; see GMDSS: distress calls for the full call format.
Exam keys
- MAYDAY = grave and imminent danger, immediate help; PAN-PAN = urgency.
- Medical advice request: usually PAN-PAN; DSC urgency alert, then Ch 16 voice.
- "I require medical advice"; PAN-PAN MEDICO is not an international term.
- Upgrade to MAYDAY if the casualty's life is in grave and imminent danger.
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