|
|
Post by Anon on Sept 1, 2011 3:02:22 GMT 8
|
|
|
|
Post by lukebowen on Sept 1, 2011 6:39:23 GMT 8
I had to fill out one of these, it is, in my opinion, the biggest obstacle you must overcome to begin working in china. It is required for an experts certificate, which is in turn needed to attain a z-visa (working visa). I've heard that this fairly extensive medical is a recent addition to the requirements.
It needs to be filled out and signed off/stamped by a doctor. I originally tried to get an experts certificate with a note confirming my good health from my doctor but this was rejected. How difficult and expensive it will be to attain will depend on where you are, and what medical coverage you have, but if it helps I'll outline my experience in England using the NHS (rather than private healthcare).
- I had to book the medical itself with a doctor’s surgery; I booked at my local NHS surgery and was able to get an appointment within a few days.
- My doctor was highly disapproving of being handed this form and was initially reluctant to complete it, however after I insisted that it was a necessary requirement for my experts certificate (and thereby visa app) he agreed. It is not covered by the NHS and I was told I would have to pay for the medical, in total this cost me £100.
- Most of the medical and the ECG was done there and then, a blood sample was taken for the HIV & Syphilis test. The blood was taken on Thursday and the results were ready by Tuesday, though it took the surgery another day to add these details to my form.
- I was told that the x-ray would be quite expensive, would have to be done at a hospital, and may involve a significant wait for an appointment. Alongside this my doctor expressed that he was very unhappy about giving an x-ray referral (which I required) to a healthy individual showing no symptoms of chest issues due to the radiation risk. As I was already quite delayed in getting my experts certificate I had my china contact enquire whether it was possible to skip this particular requirement and was told it would be ok to leave this one section empty (I’m not sure how much of an appeal he had to make on my behalf for this.).
- I am waiting on my expert’s certificate now but I’ve been told that everything is fine…. for now.
Note: The Doctors surgery weren’t really prepared for this request, and I was only able to get it completed by sheer will and assuming that whenever it was possible for communication to break down, it would. (no one rang me to inform me that my blood tests were returned, they lost my form numerous times, they believed it could take “up to 3 days” for my blood results to be added to my otherwise completed form etc.)
Good luck :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by edmason on Sept 3, 2011 19:43:39 GMT 8
Three more stories for you, that couldn't be more different...
My girlfriend made an appointment with her NHS GP in northern England and explained that she needed the form filled in for her visa. The next day, having seen the doctor, she had it completed, stamped and signed. FOR FREE. The doctor even joked that the form asks if you have diseases that, if you were to have them, you'd be dead already. Or bright yellow.
I went to make an appointment at my NHS GP in southern England. I mentioned the form but that seemed fine. I cam back the next day to find my appointment had been cancelled because the Practice Nurse said the doctor shouldn't do it. When I asked what the doctor had said about it, she admitted that doctor hadn't been asked about it, it was her responsibility to filter out "these kinds of requests".
I made another appointment over the phone, lying and saying I wanted to discuss a 'private sexual health matter', which got me straight to the doctor. I pulled out the form, and he was fine filling out 50% of it using my medical notes.
He would not sign off on my lung and heart tests, for which the surgery wasn't equipped, or the blood screening (HIV etc.) tests, which was a private matter he couldn't do. But my medical history was added and signed, which I could not have got elsewhere.
As I couldn't register with my girlfriend's surgery in the North because of time constraints, I had to make private hospital appointments in London. The combined costs for 50% of that healthcheck form cost me £300.
A North American teacher I know, who's been in China a while, faked his using Adobe PaintShop. He has never been caught.
When you get to China and start work, you'll have to redo the tests, all of them and more, at a Chinese hospital, no exceptions. That costs around 400RMB.
|
|
|
|
Post by rest4theweary on Oct 6, 2012 23:56:45 GMT 8
I figured we'd have to do another health exam when we arrived in China! I had to pay about $400 for the tests because I'm currently uninsured.  Well, what can you do? |
|
Well, what can you do?