Nepal received Rs. 438.54 billion in remittance in the fiscal year 2012/13. It is all because of the hard labour of the Nepali migrant workers in various countries of the world, particularly the Gulf countries. As far as the remittances are concerned, it is sweet music, but the conditions that the Nepali workers have to endure are beyond imagination. In fact, the gloomy condition of the Nepali migrant workers in Qatar became the talk of the town after the investigations by The Guardian were published. It published a report that between June 4 and August this year, 44 Nepali workers had died in Qatar, mostly from heart attacks, heart failure, or workplace accidents. This, if corroborated, would mean the work conditions in Qatar are appalling. On this matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have done something concrete in time, and it has no excuses. Such harsh working conditions may very well exist also in other destination countries, but the government does not seem to have the desired level of interest in these matters.

The ambassador to Qatar has been recalled by the government basically for what she had commented about the workers’ conditions there, not of her dereliction of duty. That may be one part of the story, but the fact remains that the selection of individuals for ambassadorial posts banks on political links rather than the qualification and diplomatic finesse. But the Guardian revelation has at least partly borne out the truth of her comments about the Nepali workers’ conditions there. That apart, it is good that the government seems to have woken up somewhat to face the reality that the Nepali migrant workers face abroad. In the case of Qatar, it is said that the country’s working conditions are better than other Gulf countries. The Qatari government is said to have more migrant worker-friendly policies than other Gulf countries, but it cannot escape from its responsibility for what has happened to the Nepali workers. Now, it has also become easier to imagine what the conditions in other Gulf countries may be like. The Government of Nepal should do all it can to nudge the Qatari government to take the matter seriously and take appropriate action against the offending firms and contractors.

Nepali workers have faced such unbearable working conditions mainly because of unscrupulous outsourcers who resort to various ploys including fake documents, quotations of high pay, and various facilities which turn out to be false when the person reaches the destination country. The Nepali manpower agencies are also to blame a lot for this. This is where government intervention is called for. Once duped here, the migrant workers fall into further trouble in their host country inviting more trouble. The best option would be requesting the host countries regarding the Nepali nationals working there. This only would lead to better working conditions for the Nepali migrant workers so that accidents and deaths through overwork and stress could be curtailed. This in turn would keep the remittance flow to the country at a steady level. Nepal, being a remittance-dependent country, must seriously take up the issue of the Nepali migrant workers.

Affairs of the heart

World Heart Day is celebrated in Nepal every year with a variety of awareness-raising programmes. Experts ascribe heart disease mainly to wrong lifestyles. This year the theme of the day has been Taken the Road to Healthy Heart. However, reports say that heart disease has been on the rise in the country, as in the world at large, despite all the efforts made to contain it. Among the major reasons cited for heart disease are that too many people smoke and drink, eat high-cholesterol food, and do little physical activity or exercise.

About half of the heart patients are reported to be suffering from hypertension. Special days dedicated to a single disease hold their significance in spreading the message of health. But the biggest culprit of most diseases, including heart disease, seems to be that most people are slaves to their palates. Awareness alone, though important, cannot do much. Health problems arising from people’s eating habits are causing problems. Despite the growth of medical centres, there is no shortage of patients.

Published on: 30 September 2013 | The Himalayan Times