Thiruvananthapuram: As a majority of the 800-odd nurses who returned from Libya and Iraq last year are still out of jobs, the return of another set of nurses from Yemen is posing a serious social issue for the government.
According to sources, only about 200 out of the 800-odd nurses who returned from Libya and Iraq last year could be offered placement, that too a majority in hospitals here. Out of the 2,378 persons who returned from Yemen during the last couple of weeks, a good number are nurses.
NORKA-Roots former chief executive officer P Sudeep said that a major hindrance faced in getting re-employment for the nurses was that many did not qualify in the tests required for other Gulf countries for nursing jobs. Out of the 800-odd who returned from Libya and Iraq, only around 60 could be arranged overseas placements by NORKA-Roots and many of them were even recruited in a new category of ‘patient’s assistant’ which did not require the prescribed qualification for a nursing job.
Around 100 nurses who returned from Libya and Iraq were placed in hospitals in the state by NORKA-Roots. Some of the returnees are learnt to have got jobs on their own.
NORKA-Roots chief executive officer Mr. R S Kannan said that the details of all the 2,378 Malayalis who returned from Yemen were being taken and a considerable number among them were nurses. “We have not yet looked into the rehabilitation aspects since the entire machinery was busy with evacuation activities,” he said.
More Keralites stranded, Norka gets distress calls
Even as the centre has reportedly called off the eviction of Indians from Yemen by air, NORKA-Roots is still getting SOS call from Malayalis held up in Yemen. They are now pinning hopes on eviction by sea.
But even now hundreds of Malayalis were reportedly stranded in Yemen. They were being advised to reach nearest ports so that they could be evicted through sea.
NORKA-Roots chief executive officer Mr. R S Kannan said that a group of 13 Malayalis from Yemen had rung them up on Friday seeking assistance. They were advised to look into the option of getting evicted though ships. Even as the centre was withdrawing eviction by air, a couple of more ships may also operate to Aden. Hence those still stranded could make use of it, said NORKA.
