Purushottam Subedi, Nepal.
Under the auspices of the Embassy of Nepal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the ‘Nepal Community Support, Health Check, and Consular Service Camp-2026’ was organized at ‘Kamana Maalam’ in the capital city of Malé. The program aimed to address the grievances of Nepali migrant workers in the Maldives and provide them with necessary medical treatment.
The Chief Guest of the program, former Vice President of the Maldives, Abdulla Jihad, highly praised the hard work and honesty of the Nepali community. He also offered valuable suggestions to the workers regarding secure methods for sending their remittances back home to Nepal.
During the event, the Deputy Chief of Mission, Vijay Kumar Raut, lauded the role of Nepalis in the development of the Maldives. He stated that the contributions of Nepali workers in the fields of health, construction, tourism, and the economy are incomparable. Furthermore, he provided detailed information regarding the consular services and support offered by the Embassy.
On this occasion, ‘Nepal Helpline’ was honored with a letter of appreciation and thanks from the Embassy for its significant role in rescuing Nepalis in distress, providing legal counseling, and coordinating with the diplomatic mission.
The program saw participation from Aishath Mohamed, President of Nepal Helpline, General Secretary Saroj Sapkota, and representatives from various other organizations. Discussions were held regarding several challenges faced by Nepali workers, specifically passport confiscation, breach of labor contracts, wage disputes, labor exploitation, and physical and mental health issues.
Medical assistance for the camp was provided by the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, Dr. Naresh Pradhan from EyeCare (Sri Lanka), and Santosh Upadhyay, COO of EyeCare Pvt. Ltd. Senior Ophthalmologist Dinesh Pandey and Ophthalmic Assistant Pushparaj Bista conducted health screenings and distributed free eye drops and spectacles to those in need.
Over 150 Nepalis received free health check-ups during this health camp. It was expressed that such programs will prove to be a milestone in solving the problems of Nepalis living abroad and making them feel the presence and support of their state.
