Medical examination a must for new employees: LMRA CEO These workers ” could be suffering from serious ailments that they could pass on to others in the course of their work.

Expatriate workers who are working without a medical examination pose a health risk to the rest of the population, warned the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), yesterday.An expatriate worker, according to the Health Ministry regulations, has to undergo mandatory medical examination within 30 days of his arrival.

However, a study conducted by LMRA in March this year revealed that over 11,600 workers have not undergone medical checkup, despite being in the country for over six months.

LMRA’s efforts had reportedly brought down the number to just over 5,400.

“The number is less than one per cent of Bahrain’s population but these workers could be suffering from serious ailments that they could pass on to others in the course of their work.

They could be working in restaurants and other places where they will be in contact with people,“ explained LMRA Chief Executive Officer, Ausamah Al Absi.

The LMRA is taking the matter seriously and has installed measures in place to ensure that employers also get serious about the issue. DT learnt that the establishments which have such workers will be denied any transactions with the authority, unless they rectify the situation.

“We are flexible with those who have begun the process of getting their workers registered for a medical check-up. But we would like to make it clear that this is important to us as any negligence can impact and risk the health of others. So anyone who flouts the law will have to face the penalties,“ Mr. Absi warned.

The authority in cooperation with Bahrain International Airport and Immigration authorities has installed a system at the airport, through which an appointment for a check-up at a Health Centre is given at the time of arrival for a new expatriate worker, he added.

Mr. Absi also stated that the LMRA is still to receive millions of dinars from employers who had not paid the BD10 expatriate levy. This is the overdue payment before the authority stopped billing employers the expatriate worker levy from April 2011, fol lowing the decision of the Government.

Employers collectively owed nearly BD10million to the LMRA. But concessions were made and the figure now stands at about BD6million, he explained.