Abu Dhabi: Natural deaths among Indian expatriates in the UAE are mostly caused by stress-related ailments, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi revealed in a seminar on Saturday.
Indians, numbering an estimated 1.7 million, are the single largest expatriate community in the UAE.
Among the 403 deaths registered at the embassy in 2009, about 71 per cent were natural deaths but mostly caused by three stress-related ailments — diabetes, CVA [cerebrovascular accidents or strokes] and cardiac ailments — the embassy officials said.
About 90 per cent of the problems that cause stress among Indians are employment related, they said. So the embassy and the UAE Ministry of Labour are joining hands to sort out these issues. "Only 10 per cent of the grievances received by the community welfare wing of the embassy were personal problems," they said at the seminar on "Promotion of Workplace Mental Health — Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective".
M.K. Lokesh, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, inaugurated the seminar which was jointly organised by the Indian Embassy and the Corporate Welfare Department at ETA Ascon Start Group, UAE.
The ambassador said it was apt to discuss the topic on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi [on October 2] who had highlighted the social responsibility of all institutions.
Entrepreneurs have a greater role in ensuring the mental health of their employees, Lokesh said.
Most of the natural deaths caused by stress-related ailments occurred at an average age of 41, said Dr K. Ellangovan, Counsellor and Head of the Community Welfare Wing in the embassy. "In similar cases the average age is 56 in India, according to some studies," he said.
He said the trend was the same with the deaths registered at the Indian Consulate General in Dubai whose jurisdiction is the northern emirates, although the statistics were not readily available with him.
About 7 per cent of the deaths were suicides, also caused by mental stress, the official said.
About 15 per cent of the deaths were in accidents and 7 per cent were for other reasons, he said.
Dr Medhat Al Sabbahy, Head of the Rehabilitation Department of Shaikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, said in the keynote address that about 450 million people worldwide are suffering some form of mental or brain disorder.
Grievance cells: Bid to solve job issues
To solve employment-related problems of Indians, the embassy and the UAE Ministry of Labour are joining hands, the Indian Ambassador told Gulf News.
Both parties will reveal a web-based solution in November to control recruitment scams and other related problems, he said.
Establishing an Indian Workers' Resource Centre with round-the-clock toll free number to receive the grievances of Indians is another major step, said Dr K. Ellangovan, Counsellor and Head of the Community Welfare Wing in the embassy. "The centre will be set up in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Later more centres will be set up in other emirates," he said. "We are considering opening counters in major airports in the UAE also to educate incoming workers," he said.
Numbers:
- 409 deaths registered at embassy in 2009
- 71 % deaths natural, but mostly premature
- 41 is average age of the deceased
- 56 is average age of the deceased in India
- 15 % deaths caused by accidents
- 7 % suicides
- 7 % other causes
Source: Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi
