SLEC 2020 experience

[B_J 2,752]

We went through the stupid sputum test process.  A long time ago.

 

One thing I noticed.  Once it's over and you're together in the states, all these issues are forgotten, they just don't matter any more. If, once you're together, you're still angry over the process, maybe spend more time focusing on being happy about the fact that you're together.

[user555 196]

8 hours ago, B_J said:

We went through the stupid sputum test process.  A long time ago.

 

One thing I noticed.  Once it's over and you're together in the states, all these issues are forgotten, they just don't matter any more. If, once you're together, you're still angry over the process, maybe spend more time focusing on being happy about the fact that you're together.

Angry? No. Frustrated? Yes. 

I live with my wife in Manila, so it's not an issue of being away from her. I am happy being with her. 

Two other events happened when she went in for her shots. Back in September, the doctor did a visual body scan and saw a one foot long scar on her body from a surgery she had as a child. My wife explained that the surgery was from 2000. When she went back in Dec, they separated her from the rest of the patients and made her go to a new room and were asking her questions about 'when was your last blood transfusion?' 'how long has it been since you've been released from the hospital?' 'how many COVID patients were you around?'

She asked them why they were asking her this, and they said they have notes that she had surgery this year (2020). She said she did not have surgery this year. It was twenty years ago! Then, they let her back in with the other people to get those shots. 

The guy that administered the shots disinfected the side of her arm with alcohol, and then he grabbed the underside of her arm (by the tricep - 2 inches away from where he just disinfected the skin), and gave her the shots there. Why? 


SLEC reflects poorly on the US Embassy as well. The US Embassy has only approved 1 hospital for all visa processing. If it it was just a small thing here and there, I could overlook it. However, add up all the issues and it's a pattern of incompetence. Overcharging patients, falsely flagging patients with a potentially serious illness only to be proven wrong later, poor record keeping (a 93% error rate), inconsistent information (from their website, email, phone calls), poor hygiene, etc. It's not just happening to me. This forum has over 10 years worth of stories about SLEC's incompetence. I've contacted SLEC about this and will contact the embassy when we're finished. 

Will either of them change? Probably not. However, at least it's recorded. My favorite story on this forum was the Filipina immigrant nurse who challenged the doctor at SLEC about the dubious TB report they were trying to stick her with, and the doctor was like, "Well,  just wait it out. If we're wrong, it's just a 2 month delay." Crazy. Is this medical person in authority really a doctor or just a professional guesser? 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by user555

[flicks1998 1,044]

1 hour ago, user555 said:

Angry? No. Frustrated? Yes. 

I live with my wife in Manila, so it's not an issue of being away from her. I am happy being with her. 

Two other events happened when she went in for her shots. Back in September, the doctor did a visual body scan and saw a one foot long scar on her body from a surgery she had as a child. My wife explained that the surgery was from 2000. When she went back in Dec, they separated her from the rest of the patients and made her go to a new room and were asking her questions about 'when was your last blood transfusion?' 'how long has it been since you've been released from the hospital?' 'how many COVID patients were you around?'

She asked them why they were asking her this, and they said they have notes that she had surgery this year (2020). She said she did not have surgery this year. It was twenty years ago! Then, they let her back in with the other people to get those shots. 

The guy that administered the shots disinfected the side of her arm with alcohol, and then he grabbed the underside of her arm (by the tricep - 2 inches away from where he just disinfected the skin), and gave her the shots there. Why? 


SLEC reflects poorly on the US Embassy as well. The US Embassy has only approved 1 hospital for all visa processing. If it it was just a small thing here and there, I could overlook it. However, add up all the issues and it's a pattern of incompetence. Overcharging patients, falsely flagging patients with a potentially serious illness only to be proven wrong later, poor record keeping (a 93% error rate), inconsistent information (from their website, email, phone calls), poor hygiene, etc. It's not just happening to me. This forum has over 10 years worth of stories about SLEC's incompetence. I've contacted SLEC about this and will contact the embassy when we're finished. 

Will either of them change? Probably not. However, at least it's recorded. My favorite story on this forum was the Filipina immigrant nurse who challenged the doctor at SLEC about the dubious TB report they were trying to stick her with, and the doctor was like, "Well,  just wait it out. If we're wrong, it's just a 2 month delay." Crazy. Is this medical person in authority really a doctor or just a professional guesser? 

 

 

This is my experience on the whole medical system as well here. Over the years I had to go to makati med 3 times. All 3 times I was wrongly diagnosed. I finally made the decision to just fly to Singapore for any medical treatment I needed. The last one was when makati med told me I had a severe calf cramp even though I heard my muscle pop and could barely walk. I went to Singapore and they told me I had torn 2/3 of the muscle in half. 

My boss while working in the Philippines, her daughter was a doctor in the US and she later returned to Manila. Her review of the medical system in the Philippines was one of sheer incompetence as well as not being properly stocked with supplies down to the basic things such as stethoscopes etc. 
 

SLEC is a disaster and it’s always been like that for at least the last decade. It’s beyond me why they don’t change vendors. 

[Allovertheworld 355]

3 hours ago, user555 said:

Angry? No. Frustrated? Yes. 

I live with my wife in Manila, so it's not an issue of being away from her. I am happy being with her. 

Two other events happened when she went in for her shots. Back in September, the doctor did a visual body scan and saw a one foot long scar on her body from a surgery she had as a child. My wife explained that the surgery was from 2000. When she went back in Dec, they separated her from the rest of the patients and made her go to a new room and were asking her questions about 'when was your last blood transfusion?' 'how long has it been since you've been released from the hospital?' 'how many COVID patients were you around?'

She asked them why they were asking her this, and they said they have notes that she had surgery this year (2020). She said she did not have surgery this year. It was twenty years ago! Then, they let her back in with the other people to get those shots. 

The guy that administered the shots disinfected the side of her arm with alcohol, and then he grabbed the underside of her arm (by the tricep - 2 inches away from where he just disinfected the skin), and gave her the shots there. Why? 


SLEC reflects poorly on the US Embassy as well. The US Embassy has only approved 1 hospital for all visa processing. If it it was just a small thing here and there, I could overlook it. However, add up all the issues and it's a pattern of incompetence. Overcharging patients, falsely flagging patients with a potentially serious illness only to be proven wrong later, poor record keeping (a 93% error rate), inconsistent information (from their website, email, phone calls), poor hygiene, etc. It's not just happening to me. This forum has over 10 years worth of stories about SLEC's incompetence. I've contacted SLEC about this and will contact the embassy when we're finished. 

Will either of them change? Probably not. However, at least it's recorded. My favorite story on this forum was the Filipina immigrant nurse who challenged the doctor at SLEC about the dubious TB report they were trying to stick her with, and the doctor was like, "Well,  just wait it out. If we're wrong, it's just a 2 month delay." Crazy. Is this medical person in authority really a doctor or just a professional guesser? 

 

 

It never hurts to voice your objection, I have said for many years that SLEC is just a racket where you pay USA prices for Philippine services.

 

They also do medical for people going to Canada, Australia and New Zeland 

[Allovertheworld 355]

1 hour ago, flicks1998 said:

This is my experience on the whole medical system as well here. Over the years I had to go to makati med 3 times. All 3 times I was wrongly diagnosed. I finally made the decision to just fly to Singapore for any medical treatment I needed. The last one was when makati med told me I had a severe calf cramp even though I heard my muscle pop and could barely walk. I went to Singapore and they told me I had torn 2/3 of the muscle in half. 

My boss while working in the Philippines, her daughter was a doctor in the US and she later returned to Manila. Her review of the medical system in the Philippines was one of sheer incompetence as well as not being properly stocked with supplies down to the basic things such as stethoscopes etc. 
 

I agree 100%.  Philippines medicine and medical system is sub standard and what I call pathetic.

 

Seen too many guys who had to go back home to get cured/healed due to the incompetent of the Philippines Medical System.

 

 

 

 

[user555 196]

On 12/2/2020 at 11:52 AM, payxibka said:

The consulate will determine the true expiration of the medical and will tie expiration of the visa on that day

From my previous post: "Back in September, they gave her a sheet that said her medical will expire in 5 months (in February). Now, they said the vaccination worksheet is the true expiration (end of June 2021)."

 

The consulate officer confirmed that her medical would expire at the end of Feb 2021, so that is a 5 month medical validity. 

[angeljolie 183]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:52 PM, user555 said:

From my previous post: "Back in September, they gave her a sheet that said her medical will expire in 5 months (in February). Now, they said the vaccination worksheet is the true expiration (end of June 2021)."

 

The consulate officer confirmed that her medical would expire at the end of Feb 2021, so that is a 5 month medical validity. 

As I understand, the true validity of the medical report is a year. But if the interview is scheduled more than 6 months after the medical was done, it would be deemed invalid because the State Department requires the immigrant to have a valid medical report when he/she enters the US. Since the immigrant visa has a validity of 6 months from date of issue, the medical report should also be valid for at least 6 months from visa issuance. 

 

Did your wife have to redo hers?

[user555 196]

2 hours ago, angeljolie said:

As I understand, the true validity of the medical report is a year. But if the interview is scheduled more than 6 months after the medical was done, it would be deemed invalid because the State Department requires the immigrant to have a valid medical report when he/she enters the US. Since the immigrant visa has a validity of 6 months from date of issue, the medical report should also be valid for at least 6 months from visa issuance. 

 

Did your wife have to redo hers?

I have heard six months as well. That is not the case for our medical. She had the medical in late Sept. She had the interview in Dec. Both SLEC and the embassy said her medical expires in late Feb. Sept->Feb is 5 months. 

[payxibka 10,044]

5 hours ago, angeljolie said:

As I understand, the true validity of the medical report is a year. But if the interview is scheduled more than 6 months after the medical was done, it would be deemed invalid because the State Department requires the immigrant to have a valid medical report when he/she enters the US. Since the immigrant visa has a validity of 6 months from date of issue, the medical report should also be valid for at least 6 months from visa issuance. 

 

Did your wife have to redo hers?

You have it backwards.   The immigrant visa does not have a validity of 6 mos. from date of issue.   It is and always has been tied to the validity of the medical examination. 

 

My wife's visa was valid for only 3 months from issuance because the medical was already 3 months old at the time the visa was issued 

[angeljolie 183]

3 hours ago, user555 said:

I have heard six months as well. That is not the case for our medical. She had the medical in late Sept. She had the interview in Dec. Both SLEC and the embassy said her medical expires in late Feb. Sept->Feb is 5 months. 

Did you receive her visa yet? How long is it valid for?

 

51 minutes ago, payxibka said:

You have it backwards.   The immigrant visa does not have a validity of 6 mos. from date of issue.   It is and always has been tied to the validity of the medical examination. 

 

My wife's visa was valid for only 3 months from issuance because the medical was already 3 months old at the time the visa was issued 

I see. Learned something new. Thanks. Btw, why did your wife do the medical 3 months before the interview? 

[user555 196]

4 minutes ago, angeljolie said:

Did you receive her visa yet? How long is it valid for?

We should receive it next week. It's tied to the medical. Since the medical expires at the end of Feb, so does her US visa. She has to enter the States by the end of Feb. Otherwise, she has to do her medical again. So, the visa will only really be valid for 7 weeks if we don't want to do the medical twice. We will not be doing the medical again because of the incompetence at SLEC and will leave in January. 

[payxibka 10,044]

3 hours ago, angeljolie said:

Did you receive her visa yet? How long is it valid for?

 

I see. Learned something new. Thanks. Btw, why did your wife do the medical 3 months before the interview? 

Just the way the logistics worked out.