Blue-collar workers spend their youth and even middle age working hard, making money, and creating wealth for family back in India
People migrate from one country to another in search of a good life, which they fulfil through the money they get. A large number of Indians do the same and they constitute the highest number of migrants in the world with their share of 32 million globally.
A large number of Indian Expatriates live in the Middle East particularly the Gulf which is officially known as GCC or Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
The majority of blue collar workers spend a major part of their life away from family because they cannot afford keeping families along with them. The reason for it is low salary and non-availability of family accommodation. If they go for their own accommodation, they are not able to save any money for the family back home.
They spend their youth and even middle-age, working hard, making money, creating wealth for family back in India.
During this process, the majority of them, ignore their health, ignore their well-being and later, when they retire from the work, they go back with lots of lifestyle diseases, like high blood pressure, sugar, heart diseases and many other types.
During working periods, they completely or partially, ignore their health due to lack of awareness, ignorance, lack of motivation to keep their health in a better shape.
There should be some move to create awareness among them that only a better health can make them able to make wealth and enjoy life.
Even the circumstances of living are responsible for their bad health. Since they have access to outside food, they eat in restaurants, working mess, and oily food which lead to diseases.
Later on when they go back to the country with some money or to say good money for them, they end up spending most of it on health.
That’s the unique dilemma of the expats working in the Middle East. Being away from family, unhealthy food and not much time left for recreation etc. a large number of blue collar workers develop health issues including stress, depression, and other lifestyle diseases.
This is the responsibility of the Indian community to create awareness among our people to take care of their health, socialize with the community people, help each other, create a situation to involve blue collar workers in Indian festivals and an atmosphere of happiness for everyone
The issues of bad health developed primarily due to staying away from their friends, family, and culture. Their time goes against work and overtime work to earn as much as possible
As a rough estimate, one out of every 10 Indian expat develops lifestyle disease or goes through the symptoms of depression during their working tenure in the Middle East.
Also they are seen sacrificing their annual leave, which would give them the opportunity visit their home country and meet family and friends.
Covid played a major spoilsport. Many who wanted to go home after two to three years couldn’t go for another two years. That made a gap of more than 3 to 4 years. The situation caused mental stress to many.
Even having my own company, I was not able to visit my home country India for more than 3 and a 1/2 years and it was a very tough time during the Covid to stay away from family.
It is tough to work and work hard in a foreign country take care of self, establish, and take care of the family back home. Life during Covid was very tough for everyone, and it was more for the expats.
This is the responsibility of the Indian community to create awareness among our people to take care of their health, socialize with the community people, help each other, create a situation to involve blue collar workers in Indian festivals and an atmosphere of happiness for everyone.
This can be done by the community people and community organisations by connecting with people, creating a better environment to live and maintain good health by doing exercise, walking, yoga, and participating in cultural activities.
They should also take care of their food, their sleep, and their thought process, to keep away from these diseases.
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