OFW Medical Examinations! Yes, we all know the joy (and thrill) of signing a job contract to work abroad, those daydreams of ours is a bit closer to the reality. But hold on yet, there are still things that you need to clear before leaving for abroad, one of them is your medical certificate, oh yes, it must be approved and be stamped with a “Fit to Work” stamp.
No employer would want to a hire a sick worker in their herd.
So what are the facts that you need to know about this thing called medical certificate.
Let’s find out.
- The RIGHT STAGE to take the medical examination.
Take the medical examination AFTER signing your overseas employment contract, or a bit earlier, like when you receive the overseas job offer.
- Medical exam procedures and fees.
OFW Medical examinations has two phases, and it can be completed in a day.
- The 1st phase is all about laboratory exam, these are urine, fecal, and blood test. The first phase also includes checking your ear, nose, and teeth, and finally, the x-ray.
- The 2nd phase is all about physical examination and psychological test.
Note: these tests are usually shouldered by applicants, right? BUT IF the deployment of the applicant is delayed, and the medical certificate expires, the agency will (and we believe must) shoulder the fees for the repeat medical examination.
- The medical test vary per country.
We strongly recommend to have a thorough research about the medical exam requirements of the country that you’re working in, ‘kailangan alam mo yun’ (it’s necessary for you to know that). Having a lack of knowledge about these things would definitely affect your opportunity abroad. We strongly remind: Know everything.
- The validity period of the medical certificate.
The medical certificate is valid for 90 days or 3 months since its date of issuance.
(A medical certificate is NOT a lifetime validity of your health, it also expires)
- Importance of the medical result to the job offer.
It’s better for the aspiring OFWs to get a medical examination as early as possible, so in case that there’s something wrong, you can still have time to consult a doctor, and have enough time to be cleared before leaving the country.
A ‘problematic’ result that was learned late can directly affect the job offer, your opportunity.
Health is one of the top considerations of any employers, whether here abroad, because they know that the physical and mental health of a worker can directly affect their business or household.
Read Also: Ask Yourself These Questions Before Planning to Work Abroad
As an aspiring worker overseas, you need to be hungry for knowledge, don’t just get too excited, it is extremely important that you know the details of what you are planning to do, just like taking up a medical examination, it’s not just a simple hop on the clinic, there are details in this important requirement that you need to know, because it can make or break your opportunity abroad.
Be hungry for knowledge.