The Philippines and Sri Lankan embassies in Kuwait have no knowledge of a new mechanism to medically test their workers before they head to Kuwait, Kuwait Times reported. Yesterday, a report from an Arab media quoted a source from the Ministry of Health that a contract had been signed between a local company and Kuwait to carry out medical tests on workers coming to Kuwait, specifically from the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

“We do not know about it. We are still following the same practice as befores,” Mohammed Anas, the Sri Lankan Charge d’Affairs told Kuwait Times yesterday at their embassy in Jabriya. “We have our own medical tests in Sri Lanka, and these are approved by the ministries of health in GCC countries.
 
In order to get the visa, the system we follow is that we have to bring the result of the medical test to the Embassy of Kuwait in Colombo, so obviously accredited companies are carrying out medical tests,” he said. 

The Philippine Embassy concurred. “I don’t know that the medical testing system has changed, as we are still following the GAMCA,” said Philippine Labor Attache Cesar Chavez.

There have been complaints in the past of workers who have been blocked and are not allowed to work in the Middle East as a result of the Gulf Accredited Medical Clinics Association test. GAMCA was implemented by the GCC countries through a decision made by the executive board of health ministers in 1995. 

Non-infectious diseases that also prevent working in the GCC are the following: Chronic renal failure, chronic hepatic failure, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, known case cancer, psychiatric diseases, neurological disorders and physical disability – eg color blindness, deafness, etc.