70 health institutions closed for non-compliance

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security has opted to temporarily suspend services provided by 70 health institutions responsible for conducting medical examinations of foreign workers.

A notice issued by the Ministry on Magh 12 (Jan 26) mandated adherence to specific criteria.

However, due to non-compliance, the services have been halted. A monitoring initiative, initiated by the Ministry since Bhadra 12 (Aug 29), revealed that these organizations failed to meet the stipulated standards.

Among the 213 health institutions scrutinized, 67 have been granted one month to comply with the prescribed norms. Additionally, three out of the 215 registered health institutions failed to renew their registration.

The monitoring aligns with the Foreign Employment Act, Regulations, and Procedures 2072, governing the listing, renewal, and monitoring of health institutions conducting worker health examinations for foreign employment.

Inspection teams assessed health institutions both within and outside the Kathmandu Valley.

During the assessment, it was observed that listed health institutions issued “medical reports” without conducting proper health examinations. Many lacked adequate staff and equipment, rendering their reports unreliable.

Foreign-bound Nepali workers are obligated to undergo health examinations before departure. This process helps prevent potential health issues upon arrival in the destination country. The Ministry has established infrastructure standards for registered health institutions to ensure quality services.

In response to deficiencies observed in listed institutions, destination countries have begun selecting health institutions based on their own standards.

For instance, Malaysia has identified 36 institutions for health examinations of Nepali workers, while Saudi Arabia has designated 19.

Qatar handles all procedures through its Visa Center, and Israel and Korea have assigned four and three health institutions, respectively.