Gulf Expatriates and Health
Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney stones, other urinary diseases, back pain, and many other diseases are constantly bothering the expatriate Malayalis today. Due to unaffordable medical expenses in the Gulf countries and lack of availability of expert doctors, most of the expatriates seek doctors for treatment when they come home for leave. Due to extreme heat and not being able to drink enough water during busy work, the Gulf Malayalis used to suffer from bladder diseases in the early days. But according to the rate of changes in food habits and lifestyle in recent years, many diseases are waiting for these people Most expatriates seek treatment with the symptoms of a ‘new generation’ disease called metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity. Due to the wrong lifestyle and not being able to recognize and treat the disease at the beginning, they become chronic patients later. In this regard, the experts in the health field have the same advice: it is more effective to prevent the disease from occurring instead of treating it.
Most diseases can be detected early through regular medical check-ups. Tests conducted as part of medical check-ups may also give an indication of future diseases. Earlier, regular medical check-ups were prescribed for people above 40 years of age, but now, when lifestyle diseases are widespread, doctors say that the necessary medical tests should be done as soon as you turn 35. Today, facilities for medical check-ups are available even in small rural hospitals. NRI desks for non-residents only have started functioning in big hospitals in cities. A mini health checkup is available in most hospitals today, which includes tests such as complete blood, urine, and stool tests, ECG to assess heart function, chest X-ray, LFT, and RFT to diagnose liver and kidney disease. This check-up can provide clues about common diseases. Based on the reports of these tests, further tests may be conducted if required. In addition to the tests in the mini-checkup, the general health checkup includes abdominal ultrasound scanning, thyroid function test, blood test before and after eating, lipid profile test to detect isolated cholesterol, certain genetic diseases, and pancreas function. Cervical cancer screening for women is also available in some hospitals.
Along with these tests, master health checkups with detailed heart health tests such as echo test and TMT test are also available in some hospitals. Along with these tests, a physician’s examination, diagnosis, and treatment, and, if necessary, the services of a specialty doctor are available. Nutritionist or dietitian services are also available if tests show signs of lifestyle diseases. Some hospitals also offer special packages for women that include a variety of scans, mammography, and Pap smear tests for early detection of breast and uterine cancers, uterine tumors, and ovarian tumors. Even in the best hospitals of our country, if you pay one-tenth of the cost of such checkups in the hospitals of the Gulf countries, they are available. People with hereditary diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer should definitely start getting regular check-ups after the age of 35. If diseases or the possibility of disease are detected through such tests, treatment should be started immediately and changes in diet and other lifestyle should be made. Heart, liver, and kidney disorders, cancer, diabetes, etc., which can end fatally, can be completely cured with short-term expert treatment. Due to this, treatment costs can be significantly reduced, and health can be restored quickly.
They send money for the treatment of relatives and their own in the country and do not care about their own health at all. If the expatriates who are on a leave of one or two months do not have any serious diseases, they forget about their own health and focus on things like housework, marriage of their children, visiting relatives, and sightseeing, and approach hospitals for such tests only when the leave is over. Even if the diagnosis can be made through health check-ups conducted just before returning to the workplace, these people will not have time for effective treatment. These are also problems that affect recovery. To overcome such problems, every expat needs to undergo health checkups at regular intervals. If leave is in the country, he should undergo health checkups as early as possible and should be ready to take treatment from the country if he is found to be sick.