Sudden cardiac death and kidney health related problems among Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia

Abstract

This paper reports on a consultation meeting that discussed two emerging health issues of Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia and the ways they can be addressed. Primarily, it focused on the issue of sudden cardiac deaths of Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia. This issue has been raised internationally by both scientific and media in the recent years. Secondly, it discussed kidney health related problem among Nepali migrant workers which has caught the attention of Nepali media recently. The meeting was organized in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 19th April, 2019 where twenty people including health researchers, representatives of migrant related national and international organizations, and Nepali migrant workers participated. The meeting concluded that three types of data collection are needed: (1) good record of deaths, if at possible proper post-mortems; (2) a verbal autopsy tool to help identify underlying causes ; and qualitative research into kidney related problems.

Risk of kidney health among returnee Nepali migrant workers: A survey of nephrologists

“…10,11 The Nepali Embassy in a key migrant destination country also acknowledges the rising cases of kidney-related problems among migrant workers. 18 Our findings also support this as nearly two-thirds of the respondents had ever treated migrant patients who were returned to Nepal only due to kidney-related problems. As patients show no symptoms, kidney-related problems are hard to diagnose in the early stages.…”

“…The kidney health risk of low-skilled male migrant workers from Asia in the countries of the GCC and Malaysia are beginning to draw scientific attention. 18 A longitudinal study among Indian construction workers in Saudi Arabia suggested that exposure to heat stress, long working hours, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and obesity may induce the risk to kidney health in workers. 19 In Ponorogo district of Indonesia, 18% of the patients with chronic renal failure were former migrant workers.…”

“…24 In April 2019, two of the authors (NA and PRR) carried out a patient public involvement event in Malaysia regarding kidney health-related issues of Nepali migrants. 18 Participating Nepali migrants shared some work-related circumstances which might precipitate risk to their kidney health. For example, migrant workers in the manufacturing sectors have a fixed schedule for going to the bathroom or having a drink because the manufacturing process can get disrupted in the absence of one worker.…”

“…For example, migrant workers in the manufacturing sectors have a fixed schedule for going to the bathroom or having a drink because the manufacturing process can get disrupted in the absence of one worker. 18 There was also a concern of unavailability of potable water in many manufacturing sites in Malaysia, Nepali migrant workers frequently use a high dose of painkillers because they work continuously for several weeks without a day off, and security guards are allowed to use the toilet just twice a day due to the lack of replacement guards which force them to drink a little amount of water throughout the long work shift. 18 CGN has been found to be one of the commonest causes of CKD in Nepal.…”

Centering the Margins: The Precarity of Bangladeshi Low-Income Migrant Workers During the Time of COVID-19

“…For example, nearly 70%, 50%, and 80% of the total population of Qatar, Bahrain, and UAE are migrants, respectively ( Kristiansen & Sheikh, 2014 ). Similarly, in some Southeast Asian countries such as in Malaysia, one fourth of the migrants are Bangladeshi people ( Aryal et al, 2019 ). In various Asian countries, specifically in the Middle Eastern countries, there is a massive demand for migrant workers; therefore, a large number of foreign workers migrate every year to chase their dreams to improve their domestic economy and quality of life ( Weeraratne, 2020 ).…”