NEDUMBASSERY: When the 46 nurses caught in the strife in Iraq were being held captive, communication was a major issue. Though all of them had mobile phones, how long would their phone currency remain was a serious worry.
They were neither allowed to go out for recharging their phones nor did the representatives of the “new government” recharge their phones. It was their friends in other localities like Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, Nasriya and Erbil who helped them keep in touch with their families back home. After a point, the nurses grew cautious about how they used their numbers and the balance in their phones. They gave missed calls to their relatives, who then called back. The Indian embassy also compiled a list of some numbers and recharged them.
They were allowed to use their phones to communicate with their relatives throughout but were asked to switch off their phones when they were being moved from one place to another. Also, towers were not damaged during bomb blasts or other violence.