A sick bay is a
compartment in a
ship, or a section of another organisation, such as a school or college, used for medical purposes.
The sick bay contains the ship's
medicine chest
A medicine chest is a container or cabinet for storing medicine. All ships governed by the regulations of the International Maritime Organization must have medical supplies and suitable storage for them such as refrigeration and locks.
In ...
, which may be divided into separate cabinets, such as a
refrigerator
A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...
for medicines requiring cold storage and a locked cabinet for
controlled substances such as
morphine. The sick bay and the medicine chest should be kept locked, with the keys only being available to the
medical officer and the
ship's master.
The term is also applied ashore by the
United States Navy and
Marine Corps to
treatment clinics on
naval stations and
Marine bases.
Sick bays appear in popular science fiction franchises, such as ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
'' and ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', as the medical facility on board a
starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
.
See also
*
First aid room
References
{{Authority control
Types of health care facilities
Ship compartments