 "Nurses at a training college in Thane are vaccinated for Covid-19 on Friday, July 30, 2021. (PTI Photo)")
For 41-year-old Sheeja Anand from Kannur in Kerala and her husband, it was like any other normal video call between them around noon last Saturday. She informed him about the rocket attacks happening in her city of Ashkelon, where she has been working as a caregiver for the past seven years. However, raising alarm bells back in India, her husband heard an explosion at her place, and the phone got disconnected.
After four days, to those who meet her at the hospital, Anand appears confident in her fast recovery. However, her story once again stands as a perfect example of the commitment of nursing employees from Kerala.
“During that time, there was no missile alarm. She could not go to the bunker either, as the person she was taking care of had difficulty moving. So, she decided to stay with her. She will be back to normal in a month,” said Arun Kizhakkan, a friend of Anand who works as a caregiver in Tel Aviv, after visiting her.
Anand was first shifted to Barzilai Medical Center, a 600-bed district general hospital, in Ashkelon and later to Tel Aviv Hospital in Rishon LeZion, where she has undergone multiple surgeries. Anand has been working in Israel for the past seven years.
The latest data on the population of Overseas Indians maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs, updated in February 2023, shows 12,467 non-resident Indians in Israel.
When contacted, Israel Malayali Association officials told Business Standard that of this, 6,000-6,500 people are from Kerala, and a majority are caregivers too.
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According to an Indian government source, although a proposal for a potential evacuation of Indians from Israel has been discussed, no decision has been taken yet.
For Indian caregivers, Israel is a favourable destination, as their salary starts from Rs 1.25 lakh, excluding food, accommodation, and medical expenses. Additionally, they receive leave on Sabbath days (Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon) and extra payment for overtime work.
“I have been working in Tel Aviv for the past three years. I have never seen this kind of panic situation before. Earlier, Hamas used to attack important cities using missiles. This is the first time they are entering the territory and killing people. However, things are back to normal,” said Kizhakkan.
Since the beginning of the war on Saturday, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv and the Representative Office of India in Ramallah (Palestine) have issued advisories asking Indian nationals in those areas to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters.
When contacted, Nibu Chandy, who works as a caregiver in Northern Israel’s Haifa, said that life is back to normal in Israel.
“We hear that people in border areas got evacuated. Otherwise, vehicles are on the road as normal. Haifa is not facing any issues at the moment. We have no worries about our safety in Israel,” Chandy said.
Apart from guidance asking Indians to directly contact the embassy authorities in case of assistance, no other measures have been taken so far, said the Indian government source. Other than caregivers and nurses, a small share of Indians in the region includes students and information technology professionals.
In May this year, both nations had inked an agreement to allow up to 42,000 Indian workers to work in the fields of construction and nursing in Israel.
Faced with the rising cost of living and assisting thousands of families waiting for nursing care, Israel had welcomed the deal as a way to fix the ‘grave shortage of workers’ in the country. Israel is also home to about 85,000 Jewish citizens of Indian origin.
One advantage is that there is no requirement to clear any English-language proficiency tests to work as a caregiver in Israel. Other than nursing graduates, those who have cleared Auxiliary Nursing & Midwifery or General Nursing can also apply for such jobs.
Meanwhile, government data shows just 20 Indians in Palestine. This includes the diplomatic and support staff at the Representative Office in Ramallah in West Bank. Officials say that definitive data is not available on how many Indians are currently trapped in the embattled Gaza Strip.
