Kuwait Employment News
Indian jobseekers lament over six-fold hike in medical test fee
Indians, seeking a job in Kuwait may henceforth have to shell out nearly Rs 24,000 as pre-employment medical tests, said a notification from the Consulate General of Kuwait in Mumbai. Till date, the jobseekers paid Rs 3,800 for the battery of tests. Those failing the medical tests may lose the fee.
About 50,000 Indians seek jobs in Kuwait annually, and according to recruiting agent, the exorbitantly high sum amounts to “daylight robbery”. The tests have been outsourced to a private firm in Mumbai.
The Chairman of Indian Personnel Export Promotion Council Sub-Committee in Kuwait, Ghulam Peshimam, said that already the amount of Rs.3,800 was high for dozen tests. But, increasing it to Rs.24,000 is more like “robbing” job-seeking Indians.
The President of the Council, V S Abdulkareen, said that as per the Government of India’s Emigration Act, 1983, the maximum service fee including medical test should not exceed Rs.20,000 per candidate. Therefore, the new directive violates the Emigration Act of the country, he said.
The Kuwait Vice-Consul General in Mumbai, Abdul Wahab, said that the decision has been taken by the Ministry of Health in Kuwait, and that they are just following the instructions from the Ministry.
comments powered by Disqus