Medical Report, Medical Certificate, Medical clearance or Sick Certificate
Medical reports are usually required for employment purposes, visa application, school enrolment, or as part of fitness workup for sports activities and so forth. The report is requested as a formal written letter or by simply completing a standard form available. Police report usually requires a formal written letter from a doctor on-behalf of the patient.
When standard medical forms are used, beware that it is common for companies, schools, embassies or corporations to have their own medical forms that may be issued for doctors to complete on your behalf. You should find out before visiting the clinic if that is the case. Otherwise a standard medical examination form will be completed for you by the clinic. An example of the medical examination form used in public health system is attached in the appendix. In general no special preparation is required before the medical checks, though fasting may be needed if blood check is done.
Whilst the medical examination is very general in nature, the focus of examination by your doctor will very much depend on your reason for undertaking medical check in the first place. In all patients, evidences of contagious diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy are checked. Other diseases that are important include heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, asthma, impaired vision or hearing, severe hypertension and psychological disorders such as mental illness.
If no problem is identified, you will be cleared of any medical problems and recommend that you are medically fit. If you are not cleared your doctor would advise you accordingly the reason for your failed medical check.
Other information relevant to the types of medical clearance requested is discussed below.
All embassies will require medical clearance for visa application for long term stay. Check with local embassies for details. A few embassies e.g., Australian Embassy PNG have their own clinics or doctors who are authorized to make medical clearances for all their visa applicants. In Port Moresby, Port Moresby International Hospital (PIH) is one of the recommended hospitals. Check with the embassy the authorized doctor or clinic in each Town or City in PNG.
Examination for evidences of tuberculosis is high on the list by all embassies and this may require you to have x-ray done. Some embassies will even send off your x-ray to their own doctors overseas for clearance. For those who will work in hospital environment or be in contact with sick or school aged children while overseas, you may be required to perform blood test to exclude HIV and hepatitis virus infection.
FOR WORK/EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION
A doctor will complete a standard form for employment medical checks. Apart from exclusion of general disorders, presence of specific disorders relevant to your job is checked to ensure you do not have them. For example, for a person doing heavy manual work, there should not be any physical disability as joint or muscle disorders on top of general diseases above. For electricians, drivers, pilots, or anyone whose colour recognition is critical part of their job, eye sight check to identify evidences of poor vision or poor colour vision.
FOR WORKER’S COMPENSATION CLAIM
Medical report for worker’s compensation is a formal report to Workers Insurance for compensation purposes. A preliminary report and final report is required. The report must state the percentage disability impaired as a result of the accident in order for correct compensation payment can be calculated. In many injuries, patients must wait for proper healing of injury and chance for recovery of part of the body injured before the final disability can be estimated. Depending on your insurance agent, some may request report from two different doctors independently.
Many schools in PNG now require medical clearance before a child is accepted for enrolment or any physical activity at school. Some schools have their own medical forms for completion while others may require completion of standard medical examination form. Check your school if blood tests or x-rays are required compulsory. If not, your examining doctor may requests the tests if there is possibility of disease such as tuberculosis during medical check.
Do not confuse medical report with medical certificate which is really a “sick certificate” you get because you were sick and unable to attend work or school. Sick certificate can only be issued by your doctor or person who has witness your illness or treated you. Your doctor will require evidences of your sick such as clinic notes or medicines you have been given before medical certificate is issued.
