583 Nepalis died in Gulf last year: Report
Hom Karki
More than 500 migrant Nepalis died in the Gulf in 2015, according to data compiled by the Nepali embassies in those countries.
A total of 583 Nepali migrants, including two dozens women, died in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Lebanon last year.
Heart attack, accidents on the roads and workplace are among the major causes of deaths, the data shows.
Saudi Arabia, where around 600,000 Nepali migrants work, topped the unenviable list with 274 deaths, out of which 145 workers died due to ‘natural’ causes, including heart attack.
Qatar, another Gulf country that hosts more than half a million Nepalis, is second on the lift with 182 deaths.
According to the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait, 356 Nepali workers, including 108 female, died there between 1992 to 2015.
Nepali ambassadors in the Gulf have stressed the need for stricter pre-departure medical examinations of prospective migrant workers before they are issued with work permit.
“They should also have proper knowledge about the lifestyle, weather and foods before they head towards job destinations,” said officiating Nepali Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ananda Prasad Sharma, while urging Nepali migrant workers to pay attention to their health.
The Nepali mission in Qatar reported 92 workers died due to sudden cardiac arrest in 2015. Dr Mohammad Modasir Aalam, a Nepali doctor working in Qatar, said the levels of blood pressure and sugars are high among Nepali workers.
Meanwhile, the rate of suicide among Nepali workers has decreased in Lebanon. Officiating Nepali Ambassador to Lebanon Kaushalkishor Raya said that the number of suicide cases had dropped after the mission started providing shelters for the women facing problems.
Published on: 22 January 2016 | The Kathmandu Post
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