KOCHI: Relatives of around 85 nurses recruited by private recruitment agency Hiba Exports India to work for Ministry of Health (MOH), Kuwait, on Wednesday accused the agency of extortion.
In a press conference at Ernakulam Press Club, the nurses’ relatives also expressed concern over the future of their kins in Kuwait, in light of the alleged threat.
K G Sasi, father of one of the nurses, claimed the agency was asking him to pay `8 lakh and had threatened to destroy her original educational certificates if he failed.
“Expecting a good fortune, I sent my daughter for nursing in Kuwait six months ago by paying `15 lakh, as demanded by the agency back then. She had already cleared the examination. The agency also asked us to surrender her original educational certificates along with the money, which we did. They had sought the certificates to complete attestation, but did not return them even after my daughter reached Kuwait,” said Sasi.
“Now, the agency is demanding an additional `8 lakh for allowing my daughter continue with her job. They have threatened to tear off the documents if we fail to pay,” he said, adding, “Since the Kuwait MOH requested my daughter to submit the certificates, we have no other way.” Dickson, whose wife works for MOH, Kuwait, related a similar experience.
Meanwhile, the nurses’ relatives had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with a complaint against the agency in June. The CM referred the incident to Ernakulam IG S Sreejith, who later referred it to the City Police Commissioner office. However, the relatives claimed no action was taken even after five months.
“People associated with the recruitment agency had plainly said that complaining against them would be futile, as they maintained a close relationship with the CM and also had contact with top police officials,” alleged Dickson.