The Nepali Embassy in Colombo organized a program titled “Nepal Community Support, Health Check and Consular Service Camp - Maldives 2026” at KAMANA MAALAM, Ma. Seeraazeege, Male on Friday, aimed at addressing consular, labour, and medical issues faced by Nepali nationals working in the Maldives.
The day-long program commenced with the playing of the National Anthem of Nepal.
Delivering the welcome remarks, Vijay Kumar Raut, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Nepal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, underlined the role and services provided by the Embassy for Nepali nationals in the Maldives.
He highlighted the significant contributions of the Nepali community to the Maldivian medical, economic, construction, and tourism sectors.
The keynote remark was delivered by His Excellency Abdullah Jihad, Former Vice President of the Maldives.
He lauded the honesty and hard work of the Nepali community and addressed challenges regarding remittance, suggesting solutions for transferring income to Nepal.
Raut delivered a detailed presentation on consular services and labour challenges, focusing on wage disputes, contract, demand attestations, exploitation, passport confiscation, and mobility restrictions.
Discussions included Labor and Consular Issues such as Exploitation, recruitment fraud, and safety, Healthcare as Mental health and medical assistance and Community Support for Gender-specific vulnerabilities, particularly for women.
The discussions featured insights from Ashiya Mohamed (President) and Saroj Sapkota (Secretary General) of the Nepal Helpline, along with medical professionals Dr Kiran Niraula (Neurosurgeon, ADK Hospital), Dr Rashmi Bhattarai(Pathologist), Bipin Dahal, Lila Thapa Magar, Bishal Tamang, and Sarita RanaMagar from different associations.
Medical support for the camp was provided by Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangha, Dr Naresh Pradhan from Eyecare (Sri Lanka), and Santosh Upadhayay (COO, Eyecare Pvt. Ltd). Dinesh Pandey (Senior Optometrist) and Pushparaj Bista(Ophthalmic Assistant) conducted health check-ups,distributing free eyedrops and glasses to needy individuals.
More than 150 Nepali nationals participated in the camp.
