HYDERABAD: Parents of students stuck at Rome Airport anguished over the state of their wards in Italy following the Coronavirus outbreak which has forced the Italian government to impose a nationwide lockdown. Ravinder Reddy from Jangaon whose daughter Soumya studies aerospace engineering in Italy, was in tears while appealing to the State government to help in repatriating his daughter and others who are unable to leave the country.
“My daughter had a ticket on Air India on March 11. She was told by the Indian Embassy in Italy that officials would not ask for health certificate from her. However, when she reached the airport, her flight was delayed several times. At the end, officials asked for her health certificate and said she would not be allowed to board if she did not have one,” Reddy said. There are 129 Indian citizens whose Air India flight from Rome got cancelled on March 11, leaving them stranded.
The Indian government has issued orders that those returning from Italy from March 10 onwards should procure a health certificate from the Italian government. However, the conundrum lay in the fact that the Italian government refused to test a person until he or she shows symptoms of the disease.
Post that, it has been a tough time for the Indian students. While addressing media persons, Sridevi Reddy, whose daughter Shirisha studies MS in an Italian university said, “She has been stuck there. We are very tensed. The Indian Embassy is not responsive to our requests.”
She requested Health Minister Eatala Rajender and TRS working president KT Rama Rao to intervene into the matter and help in their return.
As of now, a team of medical professionals, who flew from India to conduct checkups of those stranded, have completed their tests. “We are now waiting for the results to come back, so that they can finally return,” Upender, a relative of a student stuck in Italy said.