583 Nepalis died in Gulf last year: Report
Jan 22, 2016- More than 500 migrant
Nepalis died in the Gulf in 2015, according to data compiled by the
Nepali embassies in those countries.
A total of 583 Nepali
migrants, including two dozens women, died in Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Lebanon last year.
Heart attack, accidents on the roads and workplace are among the major causes of deaths, the data shows.
Saudi
Arabia, where around 600,000 Nepali migrants work, topped the
unenviable list with 274 deaths, out of which 145 workers died due to
‘natural’ causes, including heart attack.
Qatar, another Gulf country that hosts more than half a million Nepalis,
is second on the lift with 182 deaths.
According to the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait, 356 Nepali workers, including 108 female, died there between 1992 to 2015.
Nepali
ambassadors in the Gulf have stressed the need for stricter
pre-departure medical examinations of prospective migrant workers before
they are issued with work permit.
“They should also have proper
knowledge about the lifestyle, weather and foods before they head
towards job destinations,” said officiating Nepali Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia Ananda Prasad Sharma, while urging Nepali migrant workers to pay
attention to their health.
The Nepali mission in Qatar reported 92
workers died due to sudden cardiac arrest in 2015. Dr Mohammad Modasir
Aalam, a Nepali doctor working in Qatar, said the levels of blood
pressure and sugars are high among Nepali workers.
Meanwhile, the
rate of suicide among Nepali workers has decreased in Lebanon.
Officiating Nepali Ambassador to Lebanon Kaushalkishor Raya said that
the number of suicide cases had dropped after the mission started
providing shelters for the women facing problems.
Dead abroad
Saudi Arabia 274
Qatar 182
UAE 64
Kuwait 45
Bahrain 10
Oman 6
Lebanon 2
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