Telangana nurse Gugulotu Sunita, remains stranded in Saudi Arabia after a road accident left her permanently disabled and a travel ban linked to an outstanding loan prevented her return to India. Photo: Supplied
Hyderabad: A 36-year-old Telangana nurse is stranded in Saudi Arabia after a road accident left her 87 percent permanently disabled, while a travel ban linked to an outstanding bank loan has prevented her from returning to India for specialised medical treatment..
Gugulotu Sunita, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse specialist from Urthikammapad village in Chivvemla mandal of Suryapet district, moved to Saudi Arabia in September 2024 and joined King Abdullah Hospital under the Aseer Health Cluster. Her family said she was involved in a serious road accident on April 23, 2025, suffering severe injuries to her head, spine, chest and both upper limbs.
Medical records reviewed by Siasat.com show she underwent emergency brain surgery, multiple orthopaedic procedures and prolonged intensive care. A subsequent medical board assessed her with 87 percent permanent disability, citing multiple fractures and nerve injuries that rendered her medically unfit to continue working.
Employment documents seen by Siasat.com show that her services with the Saudi Ministry of Health were later terminated. The petition also states that her salary has remained unpaid since November 2025, leaving her without any source of income.
According to the representation, Sunita had taken a personal loan of around SAR 148,000 from Al Rajhi Bank before the accident. The outstanding liability led to a Saudi travel ban, preventing her from leaving the Kingdom despite her medical condition, documents reviewed by Siasat.com show.
Sunita’s mother, Gugulotu Parengi, submitted a petition to the Telangana government’s CM Pravasi Prajavani on July 31, seeking urgent legal and humanitarian assistance to bring her daughter home.
The petition states that the family belongs to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and is unable to bear Sunita’s medical, legal and living expenses in Saudi Arabia. It also describes her as the family’s sole breadwinner, saying she funded her mother’s heart surgery, her father’s brain surgery, the education and marriages of her three sisters, and has supported her late brother’s two children since 2011.
The family has requested the Telangana government to coordinate with the Government of India and Indian diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia to facilitate Sunita’s medical repatriation, resolve the pending bank loan dispute, lift the travel ban and extend financial assistance through the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).
Documents seen by Siasat.com show the petition was received during the state-level CM Pravasi Prajavani session on July 31. Mandha Bheem Reddy, Vice Chairman of the Telangana Government’s NRI Advisory Committee, counselled the family, while Help Desk Liaison Officer Bhargavi Naddunuri and volunteer Gangula Muralidhar Reddy assisted in preparing the representation.
The petition was later endorsed by Dr G Chinna Reddy, Vice Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board and In-charge of CM Prajavani, who requested V Sheshadri, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, to examine the matter and coordinate with the concerned authorities to facilitate Sunita’s repatriation and provide financial assistance for her treatment.
The family said it has also approached the Embassy of India in Riyadh and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah but is still awaiting a resolution that would enable Sunita to return to India for advanced medical care and rehabilitation.
This post was last modified on August 3, 2026 7:50 pm