The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has instructed the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) to make immediate arrangements for the release of compensation to those migrant workers who were forced to return home after failing medical test in the destination country.

The instruction of the PMO has come in the wake of growing complaints from migrant workers about fake reports produced by medical centers and the demands for compensation from as many as 400 workers. 

Many workers fail medical test in the destination country where they are required to undergo such tests within three months of their entry. Foreign-bound workers acquire work permit from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) only after furnishing the health test report from registered medical centers in Nepal.

The PMO has urged MoHP and MoLE to ensure immediate release of compensation amount through the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) to the migrant workers who have returned home after failing medical test in the host country. A migrant worker who is forced to return from foreign employment due to medical test failure gets Rs 40,000 as compensation amount from the associations of medical centers.

According to Shanta Raj Subedi, secretary at the PMO, they have written to the concerned stakeholders to provide immediate compensation to such workers. “We have sent written instruction to them to make sure that the returnees get the compensation without any delay,” said Subedi.

Bhola Prasad Shiwakoti, secretary at MoLE, told Republica that they have already instructed the associations to immediately release compensation to the migrant workers. “The associations have assured us that they will reimburse the compensation to the workers within three to four days,” said he.

Likewise, Kailash Khadka, president of NAFEA, said that the compensation was delayed as the association was occupied with its AGM and elections. “The new executive committee has been recently elected. We will reimburse it within three to four days,” he said.

Medical companies have been charging Rs 2,625 from each foreign-bound worker for medical test, while the association charges Rs 500 as hologram fee and Rs 200 extra for compensation.

Published on: 28 August 2014 | Republica