(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Riyadh requests Indian Government to send health care professionals to battle against COVID-19. Now, the Indian Government has approved this travel of 835 healthcare professionals to Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, the first batch of doctors and nurses having knowledge about the developments departed in a special flight from Kerala.

There was a telephonic conversation that took place between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the foreign ministers of several West Asian countries. During this conversation, the ministers requested that their medical personnel’s in India should be allowed to go back. The external Minister gave them an assurance of considering this request.

On Thursday, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh tweeted “Indian healthcare professionals are returning to Saudi Arabia to resume their duties.”

On the condition of anonymity that’s related to the discussion between the Ministers, 835 health care professionals to be repatriated from India in Saudi Arabia’s state-run national carrier Saudia from Kochi on May 13, 16, 20 and 23.

There were 50 industry representatives from India as a part of the CII India and the World Series interactions that was addressed by Ausaf Sayeed. Their discussion was about the opportunities for trade and investment cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.

As of August 2019, there are about 2.6 million Indians in Saudi Arabia. Among them, many of them are doctors and nurses working in Saudi Arabia.  

A group of 88 Indian doctors and healthcare professionals travelled to the UAE on May 10th to fight against this virus. Among them, some professionals were recently hired by a firm in the UAE and there were 60 nurses trained in critical care.

India and UAE have been supporting each other by providing essential medical supplies. India has supported many West Asian countries with essential medicines such as hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to help them cope up against the Covid-19 pandemic.

On humanitarian and commercial grounds, India has already supplied or is in the process of supplying these medicines to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt and Palestine.

On Wednesday, UAE Prime Minister, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum granted the 10-year “golden residency” visa to 212 Indian medical professionals for their efforts in fighting against the virus.

By Neha Makhija