The Embassy of Nepal in Colombo successfully organized an interactive programme titled “Nepal Community Support, Health Check and Consular Service Camp – Maldives 2026” on Friday, February 6, 2026, at KAMANA MAALAM, Ma. Seeraazeege, Malé. The camp addressed consular, labour, and medical issues facing Nepali nationals working in the Maldives. The programme kicked off with presentation of the National Anthem of Nepal.
Delivering the welcome remarks,.Vijay Kumar Raut, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Nepal Embassy 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 made a detailed presentation on consular services and labour challenges, focusing on wage disputes, contract, demand attestations, exploitation, passport confiscation, and mobility restrictions.
Discussions included Labour and Consular Issues such as Exploitation, recruitment fraud, and safety, Health care as Mental health and medical assistance and Community Support for Gender-specific vulnerabilities, particularly for women.
The discussions featured insights from Ms. Ashiya Mohamed (President) and Mr. Saroj Sapkota (Secretary General) of the Nepal Helpline, along with medical professionals Dr. Kiran Niraula (Neurosurgeon, ADK Hospital), Dr. Rashmi Bhattarai (Pathologist), Mr. Bipin Dahal, Ms. Lila Thapa Magar, Mr. Bishal Tamang, and Ms. Sarita Rana Magar from different associations.
Medical support for the camp was provided by Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangha, Dr.Naresh Pradhan from Eyecare (Sri Lanka), and Mr. Santosh Upadhayay (COO, Eyecare Pvt. Ltd). Mr. Dinesh Pandey (Senior Optometrist) and Mr. Pushparaj Bista (Ophthalmic Assistant) conducted health check-ups, distributing free eye drops and glasses to needy individuals. More than 150 Nepali nationals participated and availed themselves of the medical check-ups, consular services, and other support.
A lively Q&A session followed, where Raut answered queries and made a strong commitment to addressing the issues raised.