Kuwait: As per Kuwait news, 60 people, including 30 Indians, were arrested for working in violation of the residency rules during the inspection by the Kuwait Manpower Committee. The Ministry of Interior of Kuwait states that those arrested are those who do not have a license and do not have sufficient qualifications. However, the relatives say that all the arrested Malayali nurses were working legally in the institution. All have a valid visa and institutional sponsorship. Many have been working in the same hospital for 3 to 10 years. Apart from India, people from the Philippines, Egypt and Iran were caught.
The hospital is owned by a native of Iran. Relatives received the information that the recent dispute between the sponsor and the owner of the hospital led to the arrest.
When baby Jeffiamol cries for breast milk, Father Bijoy’s eyes fill with tears. Jefia’s mother Jessie has been in jail in Kuwait for 6 days. The authorities have permitted to take the daughter to the jail and bring her back with breast milk. However, Jeffia, who is only one month old, is not used to sleeping except in the warmth of her mother.
Among the arrested Malayali nurses are five feeding mothers. Jessin is one among them, who has a one-month-old infant daughter, Jeffiamol, at home. Even though the jail authorities have allowed Jessin to breastfeed her daughter at a specified time, it has become a huge problem for the family now. The nurse’s husband Bijoy, a native of Adoor in Kerala, has been taking the baby to jail for the past six days. According to the family members, Jessin was arrested on the very day she rejoined duty after her maternity leave. Bijoy and Jessin live in a flat at Jollibee with their two daughters. Kin of the arrested Malayali nurses have sought the intervention of the Union Government and the Indian Embassy for the early release of the nurses.
After the intervention of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait and Union Minister V. Muralidharan, an opportunity was provided for the babies to breastfeed in the jail. The relatives including Bijoy have demanded that the Indian Embassy and the central government should immediately intervene and take steps to release the nurses.
Source : Mangalorean
