RAIPUR: Apprehensions have erupted over the government’s decision regarding the temporary employment and recruitment of Indian nursing professionals in Israel, reportedly to perform menial tasks as well. While the Centre initially pushed the initiative, in Chhattisgarh, the move created concerns regarding safety, dignity, and likely exploitation of these healthcare professionals.
According to a circular issued on June 11 by the Chhattisgarh Nurses Registration Council, the Government of India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) initiated a drive for the “Temporary Employment of Indian Workers (Caregivers) in Specific Sectors in Israel.”
The council addressed all principals of government and private nursing colleges, as well as GNM training centres across the state, instructing them to gather lists of trained and registered nurses interested in travelling to Israel. This directive was aligned with a central mandate from the MSDE dated April 30.
However, the recruitment drive met with serious disquiet and uneasiness. A deep anxiety soon spread among the selected candidates regarding the actual nature of the work they were being asked to perform.
“On the grievances of nurses who came to me distressed because they are being engaged in labour work below their dignity and in unskilled tasks, I submitted an appeal to the Chhattisgarh Governor seeking his immediate intervention. An e-mail from the Medical Education department stated that the Governor’s secretariat has forwarded my complaint and it will be enquired into,” Dr Rakesh Gupta, a member of the Pharmacy Council of India and ex-Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Medical Board, told TNIE.