Rising HIV cases in RP alarms Saudi embassy
Rising HIV cases in RP alarms Saudi embassy
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:21:00 12/10/2009
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Close this MANILA, Philippines—The rising number of HIV and AIDS cases in the country has so worried the Saudi embassy here that it advised medical clinics processing overseas Filipino workers bound for Middle East countries to intensify medical exams and screening for workers to be deployed there, it was learned Thursday.
Departing Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Muhammad Ameen Wali had called Dr. Rodolfo Punzalan, president and chairman of accredited clinics that screen OFWs leaving for the Gulf countries, to express his concern over the reported upsurge in the cases of human immuno-deficiency virus and acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome in the country.
Punzalan’s 17 Gamca (Gulf Cooperation Council Accedited Medical Center Association) clinics screen OFWs leaving for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for infectious diseases.
On December 1, 2009, during the 21st World AIDS Day, the United Nations noted that HIV and AIDS cases in the country have climbed steeply in recent years. More than 9,000 HIV cases have been reported since 1984, with the highest number of monthly cases seen last May 2009.
“The Philippines, with the first AIDS case reported in 1984, remains a low prevalence country, with cases registered at less than 0.1 percent of the total population. However, the recent report of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry shows a steep and accelerating number of reported cases in the country,” the UN had said then.
Punzalan stressed that the screening is to prevent the spread of diseases. He said the Gamca referral decking system red-flags an applicant found or suspected with an infectious disease.
The Gamca official said Saudi is very strict with this requirement, performing confirmatory medical exams on all OFWs coming from the Philippines.
He said that in the faxed memo from the Saudi embassy, the latter noted that an increasing number of OFWs have been declared unfit for work by hospitals in Saudi Arabia.
“Now, if we have a lot of repatriations due to infectious diseases, it would affect the hiring of OFWs,” Punzalan warned.
OFWs declared unfit for work by hospitals in Saudi are repatriated at the expense of the employer or the clinic, which is then fined $1,000 for every repatriated OFW.
Punzalan said that among the infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS is the most feared by Middle East employers, followed by pulmonary tuberculosis, venereal diseases, hepatitis, congestive heart, diabetes, and hypertension
Searching for good medical service
Hey all!
I have been sidelined by one spinner for quite some time, so I haven't been posting on here much. But I'm done with that, so I'm ready to get back into the game.
In order to be well prepared, I have decided to search for a reputable medical facility to have a vasectomy performed. I don't want to be leaving anything but good feelings after I've made my contributions.
Can anyone tell me of a good place for have a vasectomy done, and also what kind of prices I should expect? I'm thinking it should be lower cost in PI or Thailand than what I could expect here in Korea or back in the states. Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks!
HW
Visa Situation in Phil not so rosy.
Today I had a travel agent with about 20 yrs experience specializing in the Phil tell me that it was not a good idea to book a one way ticket to the Phil even with an onward flight to say BKK. The reason she says is that many airlines will not allow you to board in USA without a return ticket back to USA or a ticket to onward country; that even if onward country THAT country might not allow you in without a return/foward following THEIR visa rules to some other country.
She also said that the gov. In Phil is very shitty about visas and any jerkoff there if he is in a foul mood can send you home whenever he/she wants instead of extending your visa. This plus the bi monthly P4000 fees I am seeing to pay the poriner tax for staying in this shit country really discourages me from even going there. As much as I'd like to see the few friends I have made there, I doubt I am going to be able to tolerate the arbitrariness and bureaucracy there, not to mention the bad air, crime, scams, bribes, the ripoff substandard housing costs there (compared to Thailand) and the disingenuous women I meet on chat there.
I really am starting to think the whole idea of paradise in the Phil is a mirage created by filipinas who are desperate to get out of there and has no substance in reality. It is not that cheap, you give up all your rights and the women, except for the hookers and scammers are not that easy.
About the only advantage I see is that most speak at least Pigin English, so that learning a foreign language is not that an immediate concern. But balance that against the fact that they can talk and scheme right in front of you without you even know what the hell is happening.
It may be far preferable to go to someplace like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia if you want a cheap playground. I know Thailand has MUCH better housing deals and the people are more civilized, although the women there are not as phoney dependent as they are in Phil.
Has anyone here actually married a woman there they met online? I find 95% of them to either be total phoneys with the remainder having the same feminist qualities as American c**nts. I am told that women of any class or character are not very easy to get there as they are looked on as hookers by the native population even seen in the company of a Westerner.
Apologies for those who think I am off the mark, but that is the way I see it.
Phil is not such a good deal, maybe it once was when prices were low, but most cities now even the cost of a banger is quite high, the only exception being A. C. Where you are likely to spend more on drinks and other useless crap than you are on buying what you came for.
Plus airfares I have recently checked are way up for the next couple months.
Central America is also looking much better now, even Southern Mexico.