Rigorous health screening for immigrants ditched

A new health screening regime for immigrants to New Zealand has been put on hold after doctors objected to the costs and time involved.

Starting next month immigrants were expected to answer a 27-page health check report and undergo a battery of tests.

The Labour Department has now admitted that the screening regime is too tough and that it needs to be reviewed.

The New Zealand Medical Association said it held grave concerns about the time involved in the testing for GPs, the expense for potential immigrants, and the compulsory nature of the screening.

Chairman Peter Foley said he was disappointed the association had not been consulted about the issues earlier.

Increased tuberculosis screening of migrants would still get under way on April 4, the Immigration Service announced today.

However, the implementation of other health screening tests, also planned to roll out next month, had been deferred,

From next month, all potential migrants who are a high TB risk and are planning to be in New Zealand for six months or more, will be tested. The age at which TB screening is required will be lowered from 12 years to 11 years.

Potential migrants are considered a TB risk if they are a citizen of a country with a high incidence of the disease, or they have spent three months or more in a country with high TB rates in the past five years.

Mary Anne Thompson, the department's deputy secretary, workforce, said next month's TB screening changes follow a stepped approach.

Screening of international students began in June 2004, followed by visitor and work visa applicants five months later in November 2004.

From next month, the interim exemption granted to working holidaymakers intending on being here for at least six months would be lifted.

Ms Thompson said the remaining health screening requirements had been deferred, following feedback from doctors.

"The objective of the policy, to manage potential health risks of immigration, without discouraging potential migrants, remains unchanged," she said.

"Our intention is to make sure that people migrating to New Zealand are healthy and aren't likely to need expensive, or extensive medical care in the foreseeable future."

Ms Thompson said she hoped the remaining changes to the screening programme could be implemented in July, but that depended on progress with the review.

Under existing policy, immigrants wanting to stay in New Zealand for two years or more have to undergo a medical examination. Under the planned changes the medical will be needed for those wanting to stay one year or more.

Currently, a full medical history of applicants is taken and some tests, including those for syphilis, salmonella, or evidence of intestinal parasites may be required.

Under the planned regime, if the full medical identified any problems, a specialist's report could be called for and included with the application.

The tests were also to have included one blood sample for those older than 11, and one urine sample for those over five.

This would enable tests for Hepatitis B and C, liver function, HIV, syphilis, and serum creatinine (kidney failure).

Ms Thompson said the department had already consulted organisations and agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, District Health Boards, medical and specialist colleges and migrant groups, but that further discussions were planned.

- NZPA