The rise in the death rate of Nepali workers abroad has been a matter of serious concern in foreign employment in recent years. In an interview with Ramesh Bharati of Himal Press, Dr Dwarika Upreti, the Executive Director of the Foreign Employment Board, discusses the concerning rise in the death rate of Nepali workers abroad, the psychological and health challenges they face, and the steps the government is taking to address these issues. Excerpts:
What could be the reason for the increasing death rate of workers in foreign employment? What plans does the government have to prevent this?
As per the government’s estimates, over 5 million Nepalis work abroad. Only around 2.2-2.3 million of them have obtained labor approval. The rest include those who went on student visas, visit visas, or other types of visas and later obtained work permits.
On average, more than 100 Nepalis die in foreign employment every month—about three deaths per day. Many workers are at risk because they are neglecting their health. Deaths occur due to factors such as an imbalanced diet, alcohol consumption and climate conditions. The government is serious about the rising death rates during foreign employment.
We are preparing to organize orientation training for youths heading to foreign job destinations soon.
What is the status of increasing compensation for Nepali workers who die during foreign employment?
The Foreign Employment Board Secretariat has recommended raising compensation for families of deceased workers to Rs 1 million. Currently, families are receiving Rs 700,000. The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security is studying the matter and will present the proposal to parliament after needful discussions.
The suicide rate among Nepali workers is also rising. What do you think are the reasons?
The reasons for suicides are multi-faceted. Some are choosing this route due to personal and family issues, along with high ambitions. Many workers are driven to despair when their salary, benefits, or earnings do not meet expectations.
Likewise, some worry about what they would do after returning home or feel pressured to return to foreign employment. Family tensions also play a role. We see more suicides in countries like South Korea and Malaysia, while natural deaths are more common in the Gulf countries.
Workers returning from foreign employment often come back with kidney and mental health issues. What is the board doing to prevent this?
Many of these health issues arise from poor dietary management. Nepali workers are used to traditional diets of dal-bhat, milk, yogurt, and vegetables. When abroad, their eating habits change. Working long hours, and eating mainly meat and rice without any physical exercise contribute to kidney disease. The Secretariat is consulting with health professionals and is considering offering health orientations by doctors. Data shows that 30% of returning workers suffer from kidney disease. Currently, the government is providing up to Rs 700,000 in financial assistance for treatment.
Mental illnesses are often caused by family disputes, the pressure to earn more and extra-marital affairs. We have already started providing psychosocial counseling in South Korea. We are planning to extend this to Malaysia soon.
How many Nepali workers are in a coma in destination countries? What is the government doing to bring them back to Nepal?
The Secretariat does not have exact data on this yet, but efforts are being made to collect the necessary information. Families often refuse to bring back their loved ones who are in a coma because treatment for coma patients is available only at Bir Hospital in Nepal. Since the governments of the destination countries provide some compensation for coma patients, families do no want to bring them back. Representatives from a hospital in Qatar once requested us to facilitate the return of Nepali coma patients. But when we contacted the families, they refused.
The government cannot forcefully repatriate comatose patients if their families are not willing. Efforts, however, are underway to bring back two comatose patients from Qatar and Kuwait—one from Parbat and the other from Jhapa.
