Indian govt reacts to SOS calls of nurses in Iraq

New Delhi, June 16: While Iraq breathes death and dilapidation, the Indian nurses in Iraq have been asked in written whether they were facing any problems. The government also offered to help them in bringing them back in India.

However, most of them answered in the negative. On the contrary, the Kerala government received a distress call from a group of nurses on Friday, following which chief minister Oomen Chandy called Foreign Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to brief her up.

Sources within the Chandy government said that the women had called for help, but were doubtful as to how they would be escorted from the hospital to the airport. There employers have allegedly said that the safety of the women were not the government's responsibility once they left the hospital premises.

According to government estimates, there are about 200 Indians, including construction workers, who are currently based in Iraq.

The Shi'ite Iraqi government is struggling to curb Sunni militant attacks on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

However, India has no plans of withdrawing its diplomats from Iraq.

Meanwhile, the government issued notices to the Indian workers there, asking whether they wished to leave the country through commercial means. The Indian embassy has also set up 24-hour helpline for people's assistance.

OneIndia News