Puzzling Medical Reveiw

[sabbaq]

Hi,

Mine and my spouse's medicals (she's the principal applicant for resident visa) were sent for MA review a few days ago, but we can't figure out the reason. We don't even have a case officer yet and were informed of this by NZImed through whom our medicals were submitted online early this month. My panel doctor did not check the abnormal findings column, nor were any of my blood test, urinalysis, BMI, blood pressure readings, x-ray etc outside the acceptable limits. The only thing I can think of is an appendectomy I had to undergo fifty years ago that I declared on my form, but there were no complications from it.

My wife's case is somewhat different. Though her test readings/BMI were also within specified ranges, she did have elevated blood pressure of 160/90 while undergoing her medical. The doctor referred her to a GP who has diagnosed it as "white coat syndrome" and prescribed no medication. We had been recording her BP at home over three weeks and it was always normal (110-115/70-80) and had our monitor tested by the GP's nurse who confirmed its accuracy. At the GP clinic her BP had been high but came down to 145/85 at the second reading. An ECG was also taken which turned out normal. The doctor's report, which mentioned that she believes my wife does not need treatment, along with her ECG were attached to my wife's medical form by the panel doctor who signed off without ticking the abnormal findings box.

Could someone please share their ideas on why I might have been sent for an MA assessment, and what the latter's reaction might be? Given that my wife's GP has recommended no treatment or further testing, what can we expect to hear from the MA? We are very worried and are wondering if it's worth asking INZ why our medicals were sent for MA review, or had we better wait to receive whatever instructions the MA has to give? Should be moreover be concerned we don't have a case officer yet?

Sorry for the longish post.
Sincerely,
Sabbaq

[klt]

The most important thing --- keep patience. Let them do their job. You will get +ve results after all.

[JandM]

Hello and welcome.

All this is normal procedure. The INZ officials don't have medical expertise, so anything medically related has to be referred by them to the MA. Although the doctor at the time, and your own GP, are quite happy that your wife doesn't have a problem, the people in the INZ office aren't authorized to look into what the medical men have said, and why, so, seeing the extra paperwork in your case, they have automatically sent it over. As klt said, they are just doing their job, and things will come right.

How long ago did you send in your application?

[Sun777]

Could someone please share their ideas on why I might have been sent for an MA assessment, and what the latter's reaction might be? Given that my wife's GP has recommended no treatment or further testing, what can we expect to hear from the MA? We are very worried and are wondering if it's worth asking INZ why our medicals were sent for MA review, or had we better wait to receive whatever instructions the MA has to give? Should be moreover be concerned we don't have a case officer yet?

Its part of general process, sometimes CO take the opinion of the MA if they are not sure about the results (though I think they have quite good knowledge at least by definitions on the medical reports), as your GP and specialists report doesn't show any abnormal findings you can just relax. Just keep a tab on the BP and sometimes its just the stress to visit the doctor or get controlled results which causes high/low BP.

[sabbaq]

Thanks kit, JandM and Sun777. We are encouraged by your replies. I'm still wondering though why my medical, which was absolutely clear and had no referrals or aything out of the ordinary, would have been flagged by the case officer for MA assessment in the first place. It's scary to think a case officer wouldn't know how to distinguish normal reports from those that have some reason to be reviewed!

[JandM]

a case officer wouldn't know how to distinguish normal reports

That's not what I meant. The system doesn't allow them to judge. There is demarcation of responsibility between them and the MAs. That way, there's no chance that a CO would be held responsible for a wrong choice on something that might be on the borderline of whatever his knowledge happens to be, when there's no actual requirement on him as a layman to have such knowledge at all.

[zoro]

I also had mine sent for MA and nothing was in the ordinary, the doctor who did the tests actually told us
we had a very clean medical test. However the medicals went for assessment, stayed there for 6 weeks, and were
said to be ok. That was last year August. Just 3 weeks ago, after we had done the interview and had been told they
would give a response on our application, the CO suddenly requested for another blood test for me, although the first one was said to have been perfect, he says because my waist circumference is a bit raised. So we went and had another blood test for me, which came out well again
but was sent for MA again and came back last week. So now we have been told I have been assessed as having ASH - acceptable standard of health. So I think sending documents is normal procedure, although this depends on the case officer, some will just be satisfied with having a look and seeing that the medicals are in order without having to refer for MA. Our immigration agent tells us so.

[babscat]

We applied via Parent Caregory, in Sep 2010. Both had no "abnormal findings" but both had requests for for extra medical tests, one request as late as Dec 2010.
When we check the status of our application on line (daily!!!) it gives a date in January 2011 for "medicals received"