Posted by admin | Posted in Job Hunting and Getting Hired | Posted on 19-11-2011
It is a “must” that an applicant after being chosen should take the medical examination to ensure that he/she is fit to work. The recruitment agency has their own accredited medical clinics to whom they will send the applicants with a referral letter from them. If direct-hire, medical referral should be obtained directly from GAMCA or GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Approved Medical Clinics Association. All medical certification should be authenticated and attested by GAMCA to be honored in the GCC countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Bahrain).
Fees for these medical examination is averaging between Php 3,000.00 to Php 3,500.00 at the time of writing this post. This include urine and stool test, blood test, physical examination, xray, dental check, and ECG (Electrocardiogram Test). All of these test are included in the package. What I don’t understand is when I take all these test from a private clinic just for my normal routine check-up and all results are also given in black and white, the cost is only half of the price these medical clinics are charging to the overseas applicants.
In 2002, when I took my medical examination for the job in Qatar at SM Lazo in Malate, Manila, I was told that my ECG result showed that I have a heart problem and that I am unfit to work. They made me wait before telling me that I need to see the cardiologist for further examination and that I need to pay another Php 300.00 directly to the doctor. I didn’t have any other option but to comply since I wanted to get the job. The cardiologist examined me just by putting his stethoscope on my chest and back, in less than 5 minutes, he issued the result that it was ok. The doctor’s stethoscope is more reliable than the ECG test? Upon presentation of the cardiologist certification to SM Lazo, they processed my medical certificate and was released in a week’s time with “FIT TO WORK” result.
In 2003, I took my medical examination together with the other hired applicants from Mabini Medical Clinic in Malate, Manila which I never had any problem during the process. However, one of the other applicants was told that she should have one of her tooth treated. She was protesting to the dentist as she just had her dental treatment from her personal dentist a week ago. The dentist said that if she will not have a dental filling, her medical certificate will not be released and of course, she has to pay extra for the dental filling. So she gave in even though she knew that the cavity the dentist was referring to has been filled already. After a month, when we were all deployed in Dubai, the dental filling from Mabini Medical Clinic get damaged and she found out from a dentist in Dubai that the filling was only temporary.
I knew that this is just one of the many experiences of OFW from the medical clinics who are taking advantage to extort money from the OFWs before their job deployment.