Manpower entrepreneur and former chairperson of the Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs’ Association, Rohan Gurung, has criticized the government for increasing the mandatory medical examination fees for Nepali migrant workers. Gurung said the revised pricing has placed an unnecessary financial burden on workers preparing to go abroad.
In a Facebook post, Gurung alleged that the government’s decision appears to favor certain medical institutions while forcing thousands of workers to pay higher fees. He said that even full-body checkups at reputed hospitals cost less than five thousand rupees, yet the government has imposed a significantly higher rate on workers seeking foreign employment.
Government Decision and Fee Revision
Former Minister for Labour, Employment, and Social Security Sharatsingh Bhandari had increased the mandatory medical examination fee to Rs. 9,500 through a minister-level decision. A task force formed to improve the medical screening process had recommended adding several new tests, after which the Ministry decided to raise the fee. Medical institutions have already announced that the new rate will come into effect from Mangsir 10.
Gurung stated that the new fee structure will increase financial pressure on thousands of Nepalis planning foreign employment. He urged the government to review and reverse the decision, saying the pricing is not worker-friendly.
Medical Institutions Defend Pricing
Medical service providers have argued that the revised fee of Rs. 9,500 is still low. They said they are required to conduct 34 different tests, and the Health Ministry’s own rate structure allows them to charge over Rs. 12,000. According to them, the Labour Ministry has permitted a lower amount than the Health Ministry’s benchmark.
The government’s decision to revise medical examination fees has triggered a dispute between manpower entrepreneurs and medical institutions. While entrepreneurs argue that the increased fee burdens workers, medical operators maintain that the approved rate is already below standard pricing. Workers are now awaiting clarity on whether the government will reconsider the decision.
