GMANews.TV (27 March) --- Gamca lists diseases that would make OFWs unfit to work.  The Gulf Cooperation Council-(GCC) Accredited Medical Clinics Association (Gamca) recently released the list of diseases that would render overseas Filipino workers (OFW) unfit to work in GCC countries.

Under the hiring policies of GCC states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, foreign workers from the Philippines and other Asian countries are required to pass the medical tests conducted only by Gamca clinics.

These include:

Infectious category
• HIV/AIDS reactive
• Hepatitis B surface antifgen, HCV reactive
• Microfilaria positive and malaria blood film positive, known leprosy patients
• Tuberculosis – any type, X-ray showing active PTB, past evidence of PTB or healed
• Pulmonary scar, including minimum fibrosis, calcification (granuloma) pleural
   thickening, pleural effusion, tuberculosis lymphadenitis
• VDRL/TPHA reactive

Non-infectious category
• Chronic renal failure
• Chronic hepatitis failure
• Congestive heart failure
• Hypertension
• Diabetes mellitus
• Known case of cancer
• Psychiatric disease and neurological disorders
• Physical disabilities, i.e. color blindness, deafness