Section 183: Expenses of medical attendance in case of injury or illness

(1)
Where a master, seaman or cadet belonging to a Nigerian ship is hurt or injured in the course of his service in the ship or suffers from any illness, not being an illness due to his own wilful act or default or to his own, misbehaviour the expenses of:
(a)
providing the necessary surgical and medical advice and attendance and medicine; and
(b)
the maintenance of the master, seaman or cadet until he is cured, or he dies or is returned to his proper return port and of his conveyance to the port; and
(c)
in the case of death, his burial, shall be defrayed by the owner of the ship without any deduction on that account from the wages of the master, seaman or cadet.
(2)
Nothing in this section shall prejudice the rights of any master, seaman or cadet under the Workmen's Compensation Act or the Natiorial Social Insurance Trust Fund Act, so however, that no person shall be entitled to periodical payments under any of these Acts in respect of the period during which the owner of the ship is liable to defray the expenses of the maintenance of the person under this part of this Act.
(3)
Where a master, seaman or cadet referred to in subsection (1) of this section, on account of any illness is temporarily removed from his ship for the purpose of preventing infection or otherwise for the convenience of the ship and subsequently returns to his duty, the expenses of the removal and of providing the necessary advice, attendance and medicine and of his maintenance while away from the ship, shall be defrayed in the manner provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(4)
The expenses of all medicines, surgical and medical advice and attendance given to a master, seaman or cadet whilst on board his ship shall be defrayed in the manner provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(5)
In all other cases, any reasonable expenses duly incurred by the owner of a ship for any seaman or cadet in respect of illness and the burial of any seaman or cadet who dies whilst on service shall, if duly proved, be deducted from the wages of the seaman or cadet.