Nepal Health Professional Federation (NHPF), an umbrella organization of health institutions, has hiked the price of medical test of migrant workers without the consent of Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE).

The federation has justified its decision to hike the fee citing rise in the prices of chemicals, medical kits and tools used in the test. The existing rate, set six years back, has been replaced by a new fee of Rs 5,500 for the health test of migrant workers.

The NHPF has also asked all of its members to charge the new fee from May 15, 2014.

“We have decided to raise the price of health test of migrant workers following the decision of a meeting of health institutions four days ago,” reads a notice issued by the NHPF on Monday.

The notice also stated that the umbrella organization of health institutions was compelled to increase the price of medical test in a bid to provide qualitative health tests to the migrant workers.

However, the Ministry of Labor and Employment has expressed strong reservation over the decision of the NHPF.

“The ministry hasn´t given its consent to the increasing in the fee for health test of migrant workers. In fact, we weren´t given any notice about the decision,” Buddhi Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson at the MoLE.

Khadka informed that the NHPF has not right to hike the price without consulting the MoLE.

As per the existing rule, a person seeking employment oversees has to pay around Rs 3100 for a medical test.

The price hike decision of the NHPF at a time when the providers of such tests drew flak for not providing quality services to the migrant workers. On the other hand, officials at the Foreign Employment Promotion Board and stakeholders have been saying that lack of proper and full body medical test is one of the reasons for Nepalese migrant workers´ death overseas.

Published on: 29 April 2014 | Republica