Kuwait: Of the 34 Indian nurses and medical personnel who were arrested in a security raid at a clinic in Kuwait in September and released on Wednesday, October 4, five were nursing mothers.
Sources informed that Indian embassy in Kuwait has made arrangements for them to breastfeed the kids in prison.
They were charged with violation of the foreign residency laws in Kuwait. Many of them had been working in the Gulf nation for three to 10 years.
On September 12, a private clinic at Maliya in the Kuwait City was raided by the Kuwait Human Resources Committee, 60 people, including 34 Indians nurses, were detained. According to the Kuwait Home Ministry, the nurses did not have relevant licences or required qualifications to work in Kuwait.
However, Kerala-based nurses’ family members confirmed their qualifications, work visas and sponsorships, according to local media.
Among the detained Indian nurses, 19 were from Kerala, and the rest were from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. They worked in an ICU and operation theatre unit.
People from Philippines, Egypt and Iran were also detained by the Kuwaiti authorities on similar charges, Malayalam Manorama reported.
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, and the Indian Embassy in Kuwait played a crucial role in securing the release of these nurses. V Muraleedharan who was personally monitoring the case also posted about the development and reaffirmed the Indian government’s commitment for the security and wellbeing of Indians abroad.
“Appreciate @indembkwt for their consistent efforts in securing the release of nurses / medical staff. The government leaves no stone unturned when it comes to safety and wellbeing of Indians abroad. Indians abroad can feel safe today under leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji,” he wrote on X.
Taking to X, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait shared about their release, saying, “Embassy is pleased to inform that the 34 Indian nurses/medical staff detained by authorities on 12 September have been released today based on Embassy’s intervention with all the concerned authorities in Kuwait. Hon’ble MoS Shri V Muraleedharan was personally monitoring the case.”
The embassy further added in a post, “Embassy is committed to render all possible assistance to Indian nationals in Kuwait for their welfare and safety.”
