Sick servants- Quarantine them?

Here's my issue- we just moved to India. I have a 7 month old who is up to date on all immunizations, but I haven't had him get the BCG for TB [because I don't know if we'll be moving back to the U.S. soon, and I don't want all of his doctors there thinking he might have TB since his skin tests will be positive after the immunization].

We have a cook and a maid, both of whom come to the house for 2 hours each everyday. They play with my baby and talk to him and he likes them too.

Last week, my cook called in sick. I asked her what she had (to make sure it wasn't contagious), but she is pretty illiterate and just babbled on about a doctor and dispensery and medicine and money, and blah blah blah.

I told her to rest for a few days and not to come to work. Even after she said she was feeling better, I just let her work for 30 min and cut some fruits for us and leave.
I asked her again what she had and she said she would bring in her medical papers for me to look at. The next day, she brought me her meds instead. They are all unmarked so I don't know what they are, but I have a nagging suspicion, that it may be Tuberculosis because the doctor is giving her 7 days worth of medicine at a time and making her come back every week.

I'm now super worried!! Today when she comes here, I'm not letting her into the house. Instead I'm sending her with my sister and driver, to go get a copy of her medical report or prescription list, so I can see what she has. If it is TB, then I plan to keep paying her monthly salary, but not letting her into the house until her TB is clear (probably 6 months).

My question is: Should I get all of our domestic help to have a medical examination done every year? Do any of you get your servants tested for anything contagious?

Thanks!

How old does a child have to be to be immunised against TB? There is quite a bit of it about here --- but then it is on the increase in London too, so it is far being just an Indian thing.

Ask her for a note from her doctor. If she has her doc's number, maybe ask him direct, or get her to take you to speak to him. Or take her to your doc.

Given the age of your child, I don't think that any of that would be over the top.

Otherwise, I don't know about regular tests, but perhaps an anual check up would be a service to your staff and a help to your own peace of mind.

But as for the current situation, I do think you need to talk to that doc.

There is always the risk that people coming into your home- greater if they work in the kitchen- will have some disease. Many will not know what they have; they may go to cheap doctors who don't test properly, they may not undergo any tests and just take some pills from a chemist, and so on. Sometimes they will not tell you what they have even if they know it.

Right now you could take her to your doc and get her checked properly. But generally speaking, protection is close to impossible. You can only act if you see some symptoms or if she tells you she is ill, in future.

Rush08, please update us on what the doctors report was, I was reading your post and thinking how worrying this is for you

For over ten years, my partner's maid has yearly medical checkups, paid for by her employer. She was previously employed by a colleague who used to do this, and it will continue.

To be honest, I assumed it was normal to have health checks on people handling food. Typhoid for instance can passed on by people who are carriers but have no symptoms.

it would hardly be expensive, and it's one of those things where there isn't a downside. If someone's ill, I'd want to know about it asap and get them treatment.

It might be normal for the upper end of the market: expats with full-time staff, but it certainly is not for the rest of us. OK, I don't have experience of full-time staff here, we neither need nor can afford it, but I would doubt if it is part of the package for most. Help with medical expenses might be given.

I should have said, when I was talking about normal, I meant "normal" for expats like my partner and the OP. I know that some employers who post employees to India give "How to employ staff" information which recommends health checks.

Many of these recommendations seem over cautious, if it wouldn't be betraying a trust, I'd post a few of the sillier ones just to give everyone a laugh! Still, if I had a young child I wouldn't want to take unavoidable risks.