Kathmandu. Speaking at a meeting of the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee, Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment Ramji Yadav said the Ministry has come up with various reform programmes to make foreign employment safe, systematic and transparent.

During the discussion on foreign employment management in the committee’s meeting, Minister Yadav shed light on the activities being carried out by the Ministry regarding the death of Nepali workers in course of foreign employment, health care, labour protection, labour diplomacy and management of employment in different destination countries.

According to him, around 700 Nepali workers die of natural causes annually in course of foreign employment and around 300 to 400 more return home due to health problems including kidney failure. He said that special attention should be given to the health security of the workers as the incidents of accidents are also taking place.

“Around 700 workers die due to natural causes and return home every year. Additional three to four hundred people are returning home due to health problems including kidney failure. Incidents of accidents are also happening. Therefore, it is imperative to implement effective telemedicine services, regular health check-ups and other improvement programs to improve the health security of the workers. ’

As the existing telemedicine service was not effective, Minister Yadav shared that a new web-based telemedicine portal was being created by linking specialist doctors. With this, the workers can directly consult specialist doctors as per the need, he said.

He said that budget has been allocated for the management of the shelters operated under the embassy and for the workers taking shelter there. He also informed that the work procedure for the operation of the shelter is being prepared and handed over to the concerned body.

“As the existing telemedicine service is not effective, we are developing a new web-based telemedicine portal where specialist doctors will also be associated,” he said. With this, the workers will be able to consult a specialist doctor directly as per the requirement. In addition, we have not limited the resources of the Foreign Employment Board to the deceased and accident workers, but have also allocated budget for the management of the shelters under the embassy and the workers taking shelter there. Preparations are underway to hand over the shelter to the concerned body after preparing a working procedure for the operation of the shelter. ’

Stating that adequate orientation was required for the workers before going for foreign employment, he said that awareness would be raised on alcohol consumption and illegal activities as it would cause health and safety problems.

He said South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS) was transparent and technology-based and found no evidence of irregularities. He clarified that the government would not play the role of selecting or rejecting workers as the employers themselves select workers on the basis of age, skill and language among other criteria.

On the issue of employment in Israel, he said although Nepal has made diplomatic initiatives to provide opportunity to the workers left out of the last year’s process, it has not been possible due to Israel’s policy. He said that the process has been initiated as per the new demand.

Minister Yadav made it clear that E-8 (seasonal) employment would not be resumed immediately. Stating that Nepal has been in the blacklist for three years as many workers who left for 2023 did not return home on time, he said that this decision was taken to prevent the same situation from happening again. He informed that the E-7 process will be carried out after completing the relevant legal process.