Baddah, Chairman of the National Recruitment Committee in the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, has warned citizens against the danger of failing to conduct medical checkups and tests for new workers soon after they arrive in the Kingdom. He said that recruitment offices offer a two-month guarantee period and medical checkups and tests cannot be delayed further. Al-Baddah said that the committee has noticed that some citizens do not conduct medical tests for their new workers. He said that this is particularly dangerous since the world is witnessing the swine flu pandemic, which requires boosting awareness of the importance of such precautionary measures. He stressed the need for checkups and medical tests for new workers just after their arrival in the Kingdom, particularly domestic workers, in order to determine if they were carrying contagious diseases. Al-Baddah added that despite the fact that these workers undergo medical tests in their countries, they might be exposed to infectious diseases during their travel to the Kingdom. He said that this is why tests must be conducted once again in the Kingdom to guarantee that the workers are free from contagious diseases. The Executive Office of the Council of GCC Ministers of Health has established specific health conditions and laboratory tests. Also, it has approved highly efficient medical centers in the countries from which workers are recruited for GCC countries to ensure that workers are free from contagious diseases before granting them entry visas. These centers are subject to constant monitoring and evaluation.
