Kerala keen on safe return of Malayali nurses in Iraq
Indian embassy officials are finding it difficult to transport them from hospitals to airport
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-06-17 06:13 GMT
Thiruvananthapuram: While the state government on Monday continued its efforts for the safe return of Malayali nurses from strife-torn Iraq, Indian embassy officials there are finding it difficult to transport them from hospitals to the airport due to the heavy fighting between government forces and terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Norka Minister K.C. Joseph held a series of meetings with senior officials who briefed him on the steps being taken to ensure the safe return of Malayalis. So far, 75 people stranded in Iraq have registered with the Norka Roots Department for assistance to return from Tikrit, Krikuk and Mosul. “We are in constant touch with embassy officials in Iraq.
The majority of Malayali nurses are holed up in a hospital in Tikrit. Since heavy battle is going on between the rival forces, embassy officials have informed that it is not feasible to arrange safe travel to nearby airports. The nurses have been advised against stepping out of the hospital premises which is a secure place,’’ said Norka Roots CEO P. Sudip.
Norka sources said a series of bomb blasts in areas around the hospital in Tikrit on Sunday had created panic among the nurses leading to urgent calls to the state government. “We are flooded with calls from the stranded nurses and also their relatives back home. There is a clear mechanism in place in the embassy to facilitate the return of nurses. But that can be set in motion only if the street battles come to an end,’’ the CEO said. Norka officials said that the nurses were safe at the moment and that embassy officials were extending all help to them.