Six nurses from Nilgiris still in Iraq

Ooty: The return of the 46 nurses from Iraq, who braved the odds while the Indian government ensured their safe passage home, has brought relief to their respective families. But there are six nurses hailing from the Nilgiris who are still in Iraq. But they are said to be safe till date.

It seems that the stretch between their place of work and the nearest airport in Iraq is posing a hurdle for their reaching India, according to their family sources.

The families of the nurses hailing from the Dharmagiri area of Gudalur, which is 80 km from this hill town, now expect the government to act like it did in getting the 46 nurses released, to ensure their return.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle over phone, Mr Gincent, husband of nurse Sini, who is now working in a hospital at Ramadhi in Iraq, said his wife and five other nurses - Sili, Simi, Aleena, Neethu and Maneetha - hailing from Dharmagiri and its surroundings, who were working in the Ramadhi and Bursa areas in Iraq, were confined to their respective hospitals as they were unable to venture out.

“The nurses are safe now inside the three hospitals located in Busra and Ramadhi cities in Iraq. Though it is everybody’s expectation that they should return home in this hour of crisis in Iraq, as of now it looks difficult as they have to travel around 250 km from their place of stay to reach the airport at Baghdad which is the airport nearest to them.

Taking to travelling over that 250 km stretch is said to be very risky and that’s why these nurses preferred to be confined inside the hospital premises until an opportune time arrives for their departure," he said.

Now, since the government tactically moved matters to shift the 46 nurses who were in captivity, it will be good if it takes such diplomatic steps to ensure the safe return of the six nurses from the Nilgiris, Mr Gincent added.