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Friday, March 29, 2024

400 OFWs sent home over health

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MORE than 400 overseas Filipino workers were ordered deported by the Jordan health ministry last year due to various health issues, the Department of Labor and Employment said, as it advised Filipino workers to secure proper medical screening before leaving the country.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Jordan health ministry implemented strict compliance on the health certificates of all foreign workers wanting to work in their country following reports of rising number of various communicable diseases which infected the local residents.

“It is imperative for our workers to undergo a thorough medical check-up or screening by Department of Health-accredited hospitals and clinics before they leave the country to avoid being deported due to some health restrictions. Some countries abroad are very particular when it comes to health issues,” Bello said in a statement.

Data received by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration from the Jordan health ministry indicated that from January to November 2016, there were 185 cases of Hepatitis B, 149 cases of tuberculosis, and 66 cases of HIV/AIDS from foreign workers.

The health ministry also recorded a total of 356,045 guest workers at the directorate for medical check-up, and 457 of them were diagnosed with Hepatitis B, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

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Some 14,633 Filipino workers have also undergone medical examinations, and 35 of them have been found to have tuberculosis while 27 workers are suffering from Hepatitis B, the Labor chief said.

A number of OFWs with HIV/AIDS and pulmonary tuberculosis were expelled while those with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, but does not affect the pulmonary system, are not expatriated.

Bello explained that medical screening in referred clinics and hospitals should be done as a primary requirement before they can proceed to the subsequent process.

“This ensures that a worker is healthy and fit to work should they be qualified for the job position they are applying for as they land on their respective country of assignment,” he added.

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