Government to address rehabilitation of nurses back from Iraq

New Delhi: The government was on Tuesday asked to take care of the rehabilitation of nurses who have returned from strife-torn Iraq.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, Congress leader K Suresh said "the government should take action for the safe return of nurses stranded in Iraq... The government should also take care of the rehabilitation of nurses who have come back from Iraq". More than 2,500 Indians, including many nurses, have returned from Iraq.

There were about 10,000 Indians before the start of the serious strife between government troops and Sunni militants in Iraq. With the Ministry of External Affairs facilitating the exit, it is estimated that there are about 7,000 Indians left in non-conflict zones.

Meanwhile, Congress leader M K Raghavan raised concerns about the working conditions of nurses in India. Noting that nurses are getting low salaries and their working conditions are also not good, he demanded the government come up with a policy for them.

The government should constitute a commission for nurses to address their problems, Raghavan said. During the Zero Hour, AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal urged the government to take action to stop killing of people in Assam.

Noting that the state government has failed to take tough action, he asked the Centre to ensure the safety of Muslims and members of other communities in the state.

BJP member Jugal Kishore Sharma raised the issue of refugees in Jammu & Kashmir who migrated from Pakistan. Sharma said there are about 12 lakh refugees fighting for their rights in J&K.

They should be given ownership rights and the government should look at setting up a refugee development board to address their problems, he noted.