Sushma assures urgent steps to bring back Indian nurses from Libya

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has promised to take immediate steps to bring back hundreds of nurses from Kerala trapped in the strife-torn Libya.

She informed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday that the federal government was even ready to send a special Air India flight to Tripoli to bring nearly 400 nurses working in hospitals in the city and its neighbouring areas.

The assurance came in response to a fax message sent by the chief minister on Saturday seeking the urgent intervention of the external affairs ministry to ensure the safe return of the nurses. He had urged Sushma to explore the possibility of bringing them back by air or sea.

Bringing the trapped people by air is not possible as the airports at Tripoli and other nearby areas remained shut. Therefore, Chandy has suggested sea route after bringing them to the nearest seaport by road. Chandy pointed out that some 69 nurses in Libya had conveyed their intention to return to the state through the non-resident Keralites Affairs Department, which has set up a helpline for the nurses and their family members to seek help.

Chandy, who was actively involved in evacuating nurses trapped in the war-torn Iraq, shifted his focus to Libya after the families of the nurses stuck in Libya approached him for his urgent intervention to bring back their dear ones.

The family members have formed a collective called Libyan Nurses’ Parents Association to ensure the safe return of the nurses. They submitted a memorandum to Chandy after their first meeting at Kottayam on Friday. The meeting was attended by 90 people. The memorandum said that about 500 Malayalis were trapped at Tripoli and nearby areas. Most of them are nurses. Majority of them are working at the Tripoli Medical Centre (TMC). Others were scattered at Al Khadra Hospital, Tripoli, and seven other hospitals.

Most of the Malayalis in Libya are from central Kerala districts of Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam. The Association is in touch with parents and relatives of 309 people stuck in Libya.

The memorandum pointed out that the Malayalis started feeling insecure after the airports were shut down and conveyance destroyed. Those want to return have to travel several hundreds of kms through the conflict-hit areas to reach the nearest airport.

This, the association said, was not possible under the present conditions. Association secretary K Mohandas said that the nurses at Tripoli had reported bomb blasts near their hospital. Widespread robbery and arson are also rampant in the area. A nurse from the state was robbed there recently.

Chandy promised to do everything possible. However, he said that the task was tough as employers of many of the nurses were not ready to relieve them. The employers have been holding on to the passports and other important documents of the nurses. The chief minister said the government was also unable to communicate with the nurses due to lack of connectivity. — news@khaleejtimes.com