amc

AUSTRALIA MEDICAL EXAMINATION REQUIRED:

Australian Visa Medical is carried out as a requirement by the Australian Government. This examination is done according to the guidelines provided by the Home Affairs department. A complete physical examination is carried out on all the applicants. X-ray chest, urine and blood test is done for the applicant 11 years of age and above. These investigations are done at the center and tests brought from other medical facilities are not accepted. In addition to these tests the doctor may order any other investigation as deemed necessary to process the medical report.

Age Group Examination Requirements by Australian High Commission
0-2 years Medical exam
2-5 years Medical exam + TST or IGRA
5-10 years Medical exam + Urine Test + TST or IGRA
11-15 years Medical exam + Urine Test + Chest X ray
Above 15 years Medical exam + Urine Test + Chest X ray + (Anti HIV antibodies if permanent visa)

The medical examination requirement is determined by the nature of visa i.e. Permanent or Temporary and if temporary the length of stay further determines the tests required.
In addition to the above thest the examining doctor may prescribe any additional test that shall be charged separately. Home Affairs department may also advise test further test on submission of the medical report. The cost of these is also charged separately.

Note: Chest X-ray may also be required for children if they have had exposure to TB Cases or history of TB disease.


INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Before coming for your medical examination, you must lodge your visa application, either with the Australian Embassy or via eVisa systems
  • Bring the letter from the Home Affairs department, along with the Health Examination List or the Examination Referral Letter which contains your HAP ID/ TRN number
  • Applicants may take their meals prior to coming over for their medical examination as all the initial blood and urine tests do not require a fasting state.
  • Females within the reproductive age group are advised not to schedule their medical examination during their menstrual period; otherwise, they will be required to come back one week after the last day of their menstruation.
  • Children between 2-11 years of age shall be administered TST is to rule out TB infection. This test is read between 48-72 hours. The child has to appear again so that the test result may be read between the time mentioned. Please make sure that you can bring your child back for reading of the test. The medical report will not be completed unless the test is read at amc. The IGRA test is a blood test to help in diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection and may be used instead of TST. IGRA requires only one visit rather than two visits which are required for TST. There is also advantage of improved specificity over TST. However, TST is cheaper than IGRA. Some applicants may prefer intradermal test rather giving 4 ml of blood. For further information about these tests please contact the medical center.
  • If you have children with you who would require TST please do not schedule appointment on Thursdays as this test cannot be read within required time frame i.e. 48 to 72 hours.
  • You are advised to wear loose and easy to wear clothing on the day of the examination.
  • For Pregnant Females:
    Applicants who are less than 3 months pregnant will have to defer the chest x ray till the end of the first trimester. The medical shall be kept pending till the x ray chest is done. After 3 months of pregnancy x ray is done under double lead guard cover to protect the foetus. Applicants opting for not having the x ray during pregnancy will have incomplete medical and their visa process shall also be kept on hold till the time x ray is carried out at the medical center.

DO I NEED TO TAKE AN APPOINTMENT

With the implementation of eMedical, online appointments need to be confirmed after locating your case in eMedical portal. This may take 24-48 working hours after the online appointment is submitted. You shall receive an email providing you with the details as well.

WHAT TO BRING:

You are requested to please bring the following documents/items on the day of appointment.
1. Original valid passport with two photocopies. 1 PP size photograph(White Background) in front face position
2. All applicants must appear in person for medical examination
3. Letter from the Home Affairs department, along with the Health Examination List or the Examination Referral Letter which contains your HAP ID/ TRN number
4. Any previous medical/surgical notes and prescription for medications (if any) INCLUDING EYEGLASSES
5. You are requested to bring original Polio certification and one copy of the certificate from authorized centers of Governments hospitals only. *For visa purpose polio vaccine can be given at the medical center at an additional cost. Failure to provide with an authentic valid Polio certificate may result in delay of your visa process.
6. Copy of appointment confirmation email.

Whenever applicable, please bring the following:

1. Old chest x-ray films not less than 6 months prior to the medical examination
2. Detailed medical certificate regarding a previously-treated or currently managed clinically significant illness which should contain the following information:
     a. Duration and date of treatment
     b. Surgical procedure or medical intervention done
     c. Complete final diagnosis
     d. Outcome of treatment or treatment plans and prognosis, if available

*Please check with medical center about the availability of the polio vaccine.

WHAT NOT TO BRING:

All applicants are requested not to bring any large bags or wear unnecessary jewellery on the day of medical examination. Any accompanying person with the applicant may not be allowed in the medical center. Please do not bring along with you any other person as an attendant or escort. Only those applicants requiring special assistance are allowed one attendant to accompany them in the medical center. If you require special assistance please inform the medical center before coming for medical examination.

WHY I HAVE BEEN ADVISED SPUTUM TEST?

Pulmonary Tuberculosis is a communicable disease. This spreads from one person to another. The germs of TB may linger in body for a very long time that may become active at any stage of life. Some people may be infected by this disease but never develop any symptoms. Some people may develop symptoms like fever, unexplained cough for more than 2 weeks, weight loss and night sweats. If this disease attacks lungs it causes scarring of the lung tissue. This scarring is often picked up on the chest x ray. The x rays are reviewed and reported by the radiologist of the host country. Pakistan is one of the high burden countries with respect to pulmonary Tuberculosis. It is for this reason the host country requires that any abnormality suggesting old or active TB should be evaluated by Sputum smear and Sputum cultures on 3 consecutive days in early morning on empty stomach. The result of a negative test is only available after 8 weeks. There is no option but to wait for the sputum smear and culture results. You may read more about these guidelines by visiting the online pages of the country's visa medical examination information.
Under normal circumstances at any other doctor’s office, the x ray findings may not require sputum examination but host country’s guidelines are very clear to have this gold standard test done in all those cases where the chest x-ray is suggestive of any abnormality. This test rules out any active TB in the applicants before they travel to the intended country. The medical center cannot waive off this test for any reason and applicants are requested not to argue with the staff of the medical center in this regard.