Kathmandu, May 28:

Health professionals today expressed concern about a legal provision that governs health check-up of aspiring migrant workers.

A provision in the Foreign Employment Act 2007 states the medical institution that issued medical certificate to the migrant worker should foot expenses incurred in course of arriving at the country of destination if the worker fails medical tests in the destination country.

Khadga Bahadur Shrestha, president, Nepal Health Professionals Federation, said the provision holds health professionals or institutions concerned responsible if aspiring workers fail medical tests abroad.

“The Act implies that health professionals are negligent and make mistakes deliberately. This is untrue,” he said.

The Act should be amended because it disrespects health professionals, Shrestha added.

The Foreign Employment regulation, which brings polyclinics and medical centres providing health check-up facilities to aspiring migrant workers under purview of law, is awaiting implementation.

At least 500 polyclinics and medical centres are performing health check-up on aspiring migrant workers.

Seeking licences to run health check-up services, 170 health centres have applied to the Ministry of Health and Population.

The National Public Health Laboratory has monitored the health centres and submitted its report to the Ministry of Health and Population.