A batch of 116 Indian nurses were permitted entry to Kuwait, despite arriving from a country on the 34 country ban list. They were subjected to a swab test to check their coronavirus infection status before being transferred to home quarantine under the regulations outlined by the Ministry of Health.
The return of the stranded medical staff was based on the instructions of the Health Minister Health Dr. Basil Al-Sabah, the Undersecretary of the Ministry Dr. Mustafa Reda and the Undersecretary of Support Medical Services Dr. Muhammad Al-Khashti and coordination of the Director of the Nursing Services Department, Sana Taqadam, and the Director of Public Relations and Media Mishaal Al-Enezi.
Informed health sources confirmed to Al Jarida daily that this batch follows the previous batches that arrived in Kuwait from India, reaching about 400 male and female nurses, and other batches will soon be repatriated.
A large number of expatriates are currently stuck abroad due to the precautionary measures introduced by the authorities to curb the spread of coronavirus, most notably a decision to ban the citizens of 34 countries from entering Kuwait until further notice.
However, arrangements are being made for the return of expats of specific professions taking into account Kuwait’s need for their services, with priority given to employees in the Ministry of Health, especially doctors, as their services are vital in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus.
It has been reported that recently the Ministry of Health (MoH) finalized the lists of expatriate medical, technical, nursing and administrative staff stranded abroad. More than 1000 health personnel, who are employed as doctors, nurses, radiology technicians and laboratory staff remain stranded abroad, most of them from India.
In a related issue, the MoH last month began suspending the salaries of employees, including doctors, technicians and administrators who are stranded abroad and whose vacation days have ended.
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