Medical centres providing medical check up facilities to migrant workers called off their indefinite strikes on Friday after Department of Commerce assured to take action against Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) approved medical centres.

We called off strike following an agreement with the department, said Khadag Bahadur Shrestha, president of Nepal Health Professional Association (NHPF). The federation represents 179 medical centres registered under Foreign Employment Act. “The department has assured to take action against 12 GCC approved medical centres according to Consumer Protection Act and Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act.” Consumer Protection Act ensures choices, and Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act aims to control syndicate and cartelling.

The department and federation have agreed on to end strike and close GCC approved medical centres, said Anil Kumar Thakur, director general at the department. “We have further agreed to urge the government to start diplomatic process to solve the problem in long run,” he said.

Medical centres have been fighting against GCC monopoly in appointing medical centres disrespecting Nepali laws since 2010. Their latest strikes gherao the department has started two weeks ago after major destinations Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided to accept medical reports only from GCC approved medical centres.

GCC is a political and economic network of countries of Persian Gulf– Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.Among them Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE have accepting medical reports only from GCC approved medical centres.

Gulf countries– Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait– are major destinations. About 1.4 million Nepalis are working in those destinations and about 800 Nepalis are joining jobs in the region per day of total 1,200. Malaysia is the only country outside Gulf region that hiring more than 200 workers per day. Therefore, migrant workers bound to GCC countries are major client of medical centres.

The federation has also filed petition to Supreme Court on June challenging the legitimacy of Gulf Cooperation Council approved medical centres in the country. The case is under consideration.

Published on: 19 November 2011 | The Himalayan Times