56 pregnant nurses stranded abroad demand instant evacuation; petition filed in Delhi High Court

United Nurses Association has filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court on behalf of 56 pregnant nurses who are stranded abroad. The petition has been filed through Advocate Subhash Chandran Kr demanding the instant evacuation of these healthcare workers stranded in foreign land.

55 of the pregnant nurses are stranded in Saudi Arabia and 1 is in  Kuwait. The petition says that all of them are in serious distress and need immediate medical as well as psycho-socio support. It further also adds that they are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection.

Highlighting the hardship faced by the healthcare workers the petition says, 56 pregnant nurses are having serious medical issues as most of them are in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and they are not getting priority for repatriation in the first phase of 'Vande Bharat Mission' as announced by the Union of India. 

The writ petition mentions that the airline policy that a pregnant woman cannot travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy should be overruled for them. It also said that Saudi Arabia did not provide the family status visa to the staff nurses and all of these nurses are staying alone in this tough time.

The petition further seeks directions to Centre to schedule a special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia to bring back the nurses and demands to provide adequate medical as well as psycho-socio support through Indian Missions to these women. 

The urgency of the application has been allowed by Delhi High Court and the matter will be listed on May 18, 2020.