Nepalese Migrants in Gulf Countries: Health Risks and Access to Health Care Services

Gulf countries are the major destinations for Nepalese migrant workers. The aim of the study was to explore the health risks and the access to health care services of Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries. A study was conducted among 408 migrants who had at least six months of work experience in any of three Gulf countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Most of the respondents were generally young men involved in low or unskilled jobs. Construction and agricultural workers were likely to be accommodated in workers’ camps and to be living in rooms of 5-12 workers. Few workers were provided with safety training or preventative measures. Health problems were widespread and one quarter of workers had experienced injuries or accidents at work during the last 12 months. Most of the workers who had experienced health problems had sought treatment in their working country, but for those that did not, cost, lack of leave for illness and fear of losing their job were the barriers to accessing health care services. The findings from this study suggest that the Nepalese Government and employers in the destination countries should be responsible for the protection and support of migrant workers.

Mr. Suresh Joshi has obtained his MSc degree in Health Services and Public Health Research from the University of Aberdeen, UK in 2009. He has been involved for publication of various Public Health issues. He is currently working as a Demonstrator for Applied Statistics module at College of Life Sciences and Medicine, The University of Aberdeen,UK.