A notice issued on Friday stated that 171 health institutions have been listed that meet the criteria of the new procedures issued by the ministry to make health examinations quality, systematic, and transparent.
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The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security has listed (selected) 171 health institutions to conduct health screenings for workers going for foreign employment.
The notification issued on Friday states that 171 health institutions that meet the criteria of the new procedure issued by the ministry to make health screening quality, systematic and transparent have been listed. The ministry has removed 29 health institutions that did not meet this criterion from the list.
Now, only the listed health institutions will be allowed to conduct health screening of workers going for foreign employment. The decision to list the health institutions recommended for listing after studying the monitoring report from the expert committee was taken by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security on Kartik 30.
Based on the report submitted by the 30-member high-level task force led by the then Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dipendra Raman Singh, the ministry has amended the ‘Procedure for Health Screening of Workers Going for Foreign Employment, Listing, Renewal and Monitoring-2072’ by adding health screening materials, improving the lab and expanding the scope of health screening. As per the criteria set by that procedure, the monitoring team had monitored 200 health institutions in and outside the capital from Ashad 26 to Asod 11.
Labor spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire said that the listed health institutions, doctors and workers have been made responsible. ‘This will ensure quality health check-ups. The wrong practice of giving medical fit reports will end,’ said spokesperson Ghimire, ‘The ministry will monitor this effectively.’
The listed health institutions will now have to conduct additional tests on workers. The main tests include blood tests (CBC, ESR, platelets), tuberculosis tests (chest X-ray, Mantoux test, sputum AFB), kidney function tests (serum urea, creatinine), hepatitis B and C, malaria, sugar, typhoid, etc.
The ministry has made arrangements to separate the risk groups of the workers according to their age and occupation and to conduct necessary tests for occupational diseases (respiratory problems, skin diseases, muscle and bone problems, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.).
According to the Ministry of Labor, health screening has been increased as per the standards set by major destination countries Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and European countries. About 1,000 workers die every year among those going for foreign employment. According to the records of the Foreign Employment Board, the highest number of deaths were due to heart attacks (19), natural causes (19.5), workplace accidents (7), road accidents (12.7), suicide (11%) and other causes (30.8%). Most of the certificates contain words like ‘natural, sudden death, heart attack, unnatural’. The destination country has been taking responsibility only for workplace and vehicle accidents.
