The International Radio Medical Centre (Centro Internazionale Radio Medico aka C.I.R.M) was founded in 1935 with the purpose of giving radio medical advice to ships on any nationality navigating on all seas of the world. The Centre has its headquarters in Rome, and its medical services are completely free of charge. They also include arrangements for the transfer, if necessary, of a patient to a ship with a doctor on board or if the distance allows it, to evacuate the patient for hospitalization. Requests for medical advice reaching C.I.R.M. are handled by doctors on continuos duty at the C.I.R.M. headquarters. These doctors advice on the appropriate treatment and keep in contact with every ship that has asked for assistance, following up the progress of the patient until his recovery or evacuation to the hospital on shore.
