St. Luke’s, Manila

[DanielCa 1]

My wife had medical done one day and they said come back the next for results. She and according to a guy with the group complained that out of 400 people 320 tested positive for TB. 80 people were cleared. Now she has to wait until September 4,5,6 to get sputum tests and then wait until November for results!! The 2021 TB infection rate is .065 per 100,000. So that’s a little over one per 50,000!! You do the math. What can you do?!!

[Mike E 11,724]

St Loots strikes again!

[DanielCa 1]

Really? Tell me more.

[Chancy 6,233]

*** Moved from US Embassy & Consulate Discussion to the Philippine regional forum, where similar topics about SLEC Manila are discussed ***

 

[NeonParticles 121]

On 7/22/2023 at 3:46 PM, DanielCa said:

My wife had medical done one day and they said come back the next for results. She and according to a guy with the group complained that out of 400 people 320 tested positive for TB. 80 people were cleared. Now she has to wait until September 4,5,6 to get sputum tests and then wait until November for results!! The 2021 TB infection rate is .065 per 100,000. So that’s a little over one per 50,000!! You do the math. What can you do?!!

Apparently everyone who has had TB this year got their medical done at the same time.  Ridiculous...  Now debating going ahead and having my wife take her medical now even though we're likely a few months away from the next step...

Edited July 25, 2023 by NeonParticles

[DanielCa 1]

She’s going to public health center tomorrow to get a second opinion. Then medicine if positive. Then prepped for September tests. You can’t fight the system. Or just stay where you’re at and be happy feeding it.

[RO_AH 1,619]

14 hours ago, DanielCa said:

She’s going to public health center tomorrow to get a second opinion. Then medicine if positive. Then prepped for September tests. You can’t fight the system. Or just stay where you’re at and be happy feeding it.

Second opinion for what? The only opinion that matters is St. Lukes (not loots). If people are trying to think it's a money grab, it's not. You pay 1 fee for medical. It covers sputum as well. Now they have way more work to do and they do not get any more money.

 

I think it is due to poor equipment or poor training on how to read an x-ray. Sadly my wife was flagged and had to go through this and it really does suck. By the time she finished and we got a new interview date, her visa was set to expire a few days later. Appointments at the embassy were tough to get because it was during covid. We ended up having to do the medical again. 2nd time x-ray was fine and no sputum.

 

Like I said, it sucks, but you will make it through.

[RubysMom 4]

I do not understand about visa expiring, before interview?  I thought Visa issued after interview and then good for 6 Months to travel?

[jskibo 588]

5 hours ago, RubysMom said:

I do not understand about visa expiring, before interview?  I thought Visa issued after interview and then good for 6 Months to travel?

Visa expiration is tied to medical and expires 6 months from the date of medical. If you get the medical in January and a visa in May you'll have a month before it expires. 

 

My in-laws went through Sputum, MIL twice, and as I recall the medical validity post Sputum results was only 3 months. 

[DanielCa 1]

9 hours ago, RO_AH said:

Second opinion for what? The only opinion that matters is St. Lukes (not loots). If people are trying to think it's a money grab, it's not. You pay 1 fee for medical. It covers sputum as well. Now they have way more work to do and they do not get any more money.

 

I think it is due to poor equipment or poor training on how to read an x-ray. Sadly my wife was flagged and had to go through this and it really does suck. By the time she finished and we got a new interview date, her visa was set to expire a few days later. Appointments at the embassy were tough to get because it was during covid. We ended up having to do the medical again. 2nd time x-ray was fine and no sputum.

 

Like I said, it sucks, but you will make it through.

Second opinion like I said to take meds if it’s an issue. I agree St.Loots was a bad statement. The logistics keeps the money there though. Imagine controlling the pawns in the game to earn more revenue is a good tactic. Still by far less expensive than the US. Once we get established we will be back. Thank you for the input. It will work out without a doubt.

[RO_AH 1,619]

4 hours ago, DanielCa said:

Second opinion like I said to take meds if it’s an issue.

In almost all cases where they are flagged for sputum testing the person comes out negative for TB. If found to be positive you will need to go through SLEC for treatment in order to have the medical approved. Getting a second opinion is just throwing away money.

[RO_AH 1,619]

13 hours ago, RubysMom said:

I do not understand about visa expiring, before interview?  I thought Visa issued after interview and then good for 6 Months to travel?

To be clear, as @jskibo said, it is tied to the medical. But to be more clear, it is tied to the start date of your medical not the completion date. Because of this getting flagged for sputum shortens your window. If you need treatment for TB it shrinks that window more.