Demand for Action Against Institutions Making Fake Medical Reports

December 27, 2024
fake medical report

Authorities are calling for action against health institutions that issue fake medical reports for workers seeking foreign employment. A report prepared by a task force led by Dr. Deependra Raman Singh, additional secretary at the Ministry of Health, revealed that some health institutions are providing fake medical reports without the workers’ actual medical examination. This has raised concerns about the health risks for migrant workers.

The task force’s report, made public last Wednesday, highlights how the fake reports are leading to distrust among destination countries regarding medical reports issued by Nepali health institutions. Experts are urging that the Ministry of Labor take this issue seriously and ensure strict monitoring of the institutions involved.

Ganesh Gurung, coordinator of the draft team for the labor migration policy, emphasized that no one should be allowed to manipulate workers’ health tests. He pointed out that unqualified health checks in Nepal lead to destination countries conducting their own tests, which puts the workers’ health at risk. He also stressed the need for consistent monitoring and penalties for those providing fraudulent reports.

Dr. Singh’s report suggests that health tests for migrant workers should be based on the specific requirements of the destination countries. It also calls for the standardization of medical reports and the introduction of a one-door system for health institutions to ensure uniformity and quality across all institutions.

The Ministry of Labor has claimed that it periodically monitors the registered health institutions. Last year, 67 institutions were suspended for failing to meet standards, but their operations were reinstated after they complied with the guidelines.

Chiranjeevi Baral, chairperson of the National Network for Safe Migration, also called for severe penalties for health institutions responsible for falsifying medical reports, highlighting the potential dangers such actions pose to workers’ lives.

According to data from the Foreign Employment Board, 14,666 Nepali migrant workers died between 2008/09 and 2021/22. The majority of these deaths were caused by heart attacks, accidents at work, and other natural causes. The report also points out that the cause of death is often unclear in the death certificates submitted to the board, which complicates compensation claims.

In some cases, workers who pass their medical tests in Nepal end up failing health checks in their destination countries, leading to financial exploitation and denial of compensation. One worker, Hit Kumar Lama from Sunsari, lost 300,000 Nepali rupees after his chest was found to have dark spots during a medical test in the UAE, despite passing in Nepal.

The task force’s report also emphasizes the need for digitization of health institutions to ensure quality health checks and prevent the practice of issuing fake reports. It recommends that the government implement international standards for health institutions and introduce a unified system for medical testing.

Currently, the Ministry of Labor has 215 registered health institutions for conducting medical tests for migrant workers, including specialized testing centers for countries like Malaysia, South Korea, and Qatar. However, experts are calling for further improvement in the quality and monitoring of these institutions to ensure the safety of Nepali workers abroad.

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