56 pregnant nurses stranded abroad, plea filed in Delhi High Court urging their return

The United Nurses Association has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, urging the central government's intervention in bringing home 56 pregnant Indian nurses who are stranded in the Middle-East. The plea mentions that bringing back the nurses should take high priority as all of them are in serious distress and need immediate medical as well as psycho-socio support.

The Delhi High Court has allowed the matter to be listed as urgent and the hearing will take place on May 18, it was said.

55 of these pregnant nurses are stranded in Saudi Arabia while the remaining one is in  Kuwait. The petition mentions that they are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection.

The plea further insists that the women are facing serious medical issues as most of them are in their third trimester of pregnancy. These pregnant nurses did not get priority for repatriation in the first phase of the 'Vande Bharat Mission' as announced by India earlier. Further, as per airline policy, a pregnant woman cannot travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy, therefore they could not be brought back through the repatriation measures.

But all of these have led to serious distress for the women, the plea mentions, as they stay alone in Saudi Arabia and the country did not provide a family status visa to the staff nurses.

The petition seeks directions to the Centre to schedule a special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia and asks for necessary directions to be provided regarding adequate medical as well as psycho-socio support to these women through the Indian diplomatic missions.