GCC stands for the Gulf Cooperation Council which is the political and economic alliance of 6 Middle Eastern countries including, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, and GAMCA stands for GCC Approved Medical Centers Association. These medical centers are globally widespread and you have to visit one of these centers in India for a medical examination when you need to travel to a GCC country or when you opt for a work visa in any of the GCC countries. Other countries like Canada also have its own medical requirements for immigration.
What Is GAMCA Medical Test?
The GCC countries are slowly becoming popular work destinations for expatriates because they’re developing at very high speeds and are in need of extra manpower from other countries to help keep up the steady pace of development. The GAMCA medical test for Oman is a medical test conducted as per the GCC medical laws, and it is very important to clear the medical test to get a work visa for Oman. You have to bear in mind that if you are deemed unfit in this test, then you will be banned from getting a work visa to any of the Gulf countries for a lifetime.
Why is GAMCA Necessary for Oman and Other Gulf Countries?
The GCC states have made GAMCA tests mandatory to make sure that the expats coming to their country for a job are physically fit for the job they have enrolled for, and also to ensure that they are free from any infectious diseases and other diseases that may pose a threat to the safety of the Gulf society.
First Step for the GAMCA Medical Test for Oman
The first and foremost step towards getting the GAMCA medical test for Oman done is for the job seeker to locate a GAMCA center, and get a GAMCA slip. The GAMCA slip is free of cost and has a validity of 60 days, which means you will have to get all the medical tests done within this period. The GAMCA slip carries information about the name and contact details of the affiliated medical center, so you will have to visit the same center for getting all the required tests done. Your original passport is the only document required to obtain a GAMCA slip, but you will have to visit the center personally as your fingerprints and photos will be taken at the center.
Documents Required at the GCC-Affiliated Medical Center
The original GAMCA slip along with its photocopy and 5 passport-size photographs with a blue background is required as per the Omani rule. Your photograph and fingerprints are once again taken at the medical center for cross-verification with the GAMCA center.
GAMCA Medical Test List
The GAMCA medical test list for Oman is a mixture of laboratory tests along with the physical examination.
Physical Examination Involves
- Checking the height, weight and blood pressure of the applicant
- The auscultation of the chest with a stethoscope
- The checkup of the vision in both the eyes and testing for colour blindness only for professionals such as drivers and industrial workers
- Checking for the signs and symptoms of any veneral or Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Checking for the signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders
And the past history of any major surgery and any drug allergy is noted down.
Lab Tests Done Include
- Urine tests to check for sugar, albumin and Bilharziasis, if it is endemic
- Blood tests for blood grouping, Hemoglobin levels, random blood sugar tests, tests for malaria and microfilaria
- Liver Function tests– SGOT and SGPT and Kidney Function Test
- Tests for HIV 1 and 2 (ELISA), HBsAg, Anti-HCV, VDRL for Syphilis, and TPHA if VDRL test results are positive
- Chest radiography
- Pregnancy test for females
The whole medical testing procedure will take about 1 to 2 hours depending on how busy the center is on the day you choose to go for the medical examination.
GAMCA Medical Test Fees
The tests will approximately cost Rs. 3800 per individual and an acknowledgement slip will be given at the medical center. The medical report will be produced by the center usually on the next working day, and you can either collect the reports personally or send any known person along with the acknowledgement slip to collect the report.
Reasons for a Person to be Declared “Medically Unfit”
As mentioned earlier, a person who receives a ‘Medically Unfit’ report will be banned for a lifetime from entering any of the GCC countries. Here are some of the reasons that could make a person medically unfit to enter Oman and other Gulf countries:
- Anemia, if a person has a haemoglobin level below 10g/dL
- The presence of an infectious disease such as HIV/ Hepatitis B/Hepatitis C
- A chest X-ray showing the evidence of Tuberculosis such as any abnormal lung shadow, pleural thickening, or pleural effusion
- The presence of a Sexually Transmittable Disease like Syphilis
- Any kidney or liver disease
- The presence of neurological or psychiatric diseases
- Any major physical deformities or handicaps
- Uncontrolled Diabetes
- The evidence of skin diseases like leprosy or psoriasis on physical examination
- Pregnant females
- Uncontrolled blood pressure or hypertension
So, anybody wanting to get a clean chit in the GAMCA medical test for Oman should ensure that they don’t have any clinical signs or lab evidence of the conditions mentioned above. Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes should keep the condition under control. If you suffer from anemia, pneumonia, malaria, filariasis, leprosy, psoriasis, heart failure, hernia, hydrocele or jaundice, please get treated for these conditions before you go for the medical testing. Almost all these conditions can be cured, except if you have old scars on your lungs that become evident in the chest X-Ray.
List of GAMCA Approved Medical Centres in India
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I am an experienced Medical/Scientific writer with a passion for helping people live a happy healthy life. My thirst for writing has followed me throughout the years – it is there when I wake up, lingering at the edges of my consciousness during the day, and teases me at night as I go to sleep.
