Plea in SC seeks repatriation of 18 pregnant medical professionals from Saudi Arabia

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to make arrangements to bring back 18 medical professionals, who are pregnant and are stranded in Saudi Arabia in "vulnerable conditions", amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The plea has also sought a direction to the Indian Embassy at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to take appropriate measures and ensure that these pregnant medical professionals, including one doctor, have access to proper medical facilities till they are repatriated to India.

The petition has said repatriation of these medical professionals, who are in advanced stage of pregnancy, is needed as soon as possible as they would not be able to travel once they are in their 36th week of gestation.

 

The plea, filed through advocate Jose Abraham, said the petitioners had planned to return to India on various dates in the month of March and April for their delivery.

"However, due to the closure of the airports in India for flights from abroad, the flights which they had booked tickets for much earlier got cancelled. Because of which all the petitioners are stuck in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are living in vulnerable conditions which is fatal for both the unborn child and the mother," the plea said.

India is under a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus since March 25 and it has been extended till May 3.

The plea filed in the apex court has said that these pregnant medical professionals, who are from Kerala, are living alone in Saudi Arabia with no family to take care of them in such a "crucial time".

"It is also a worrying fact that most of the government hospitals in Saudi Arabia have been converted into COVID-19 treatment centres and are admitting only those people with the said infection and the petitioners are also not in a financial position to afford to go to private hospitals for treatment," the plea claimed.

It said some of them have already resigned from their jobs to return to India for delivery but they are forced to stay back in Saudi Arabia, due to cancellation of flights.

"So without any source of income, it has become difficult for them to afford to pay for their food, essential medicines and other expenses they might incur during delivery of the child," it said.