The government has initiated a new process to enlist health institutions for conducting medical examinations of Nepali migrant workers, a move expected to dismantle a long-standing syndicate in health screening.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security said the new process for the enlistment of health institutions has been formally launched following a ministerial decision on March 31.

“The enlistment process is open to both government-approved and government-owned health institutions willing to conduct medical screenings for foreign-bound workers. The process will be carried out in accordance with the Directives Related to Enlistment, Renewal, and Monitoring of Health Institutions 2015,” said Pitambar Ghimire, spokesperson of the ministry.

For years, a small and exclusive group of private clinics held a monopoly over issuing mandatory health certificates required for workers travelling to high-demand destinations such as Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The system was not limited to domestic actors. It was historically sustained through exclusive partnerships between certain foreign technology companies and a handful of influential Nepali medical businesses, restricting competition and access.

The latest decision is expected to increase competition, improve transparency, and ensure wider access to medical screening services, thereby ending the dominance of a select group of clinics in Nepal’s foreign employment sector.