Question : Nurses Working Abroad

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the estimated number of nurses working abroad, country-wise;

(b) whether the Government is aware of the increasing cases of frauds by private recruitment agencies recruiting nurses from India to abroad;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the number of such cases reported during the last three years;

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to ban private agencies from hiring nurses for overseas jobs; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to protect the interests of nurses in foreign countries?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) The Government does not maintain data about Indian Nurses working in different countries of the world. However, with effect from 31st May, 2015, with a view to protect & ensure welfare of Indian nurses, ‘Nurses’ as a category were brought under the purview of Emigration Check Required (ECR) category when they travel to 18 notified ECR countries for employment. The country-wise details since May 2015 of nurses who travelled after taking Emigration Clearances is as under:-

Name of Countries 2015 2016 2017
(19.12.17)
Bahrain - - 55
Jordan - - 60
Kuwait - 7 118
Oman 16 31 112
Qatar 1 2 350
Saudi Arabia - 4556 3261
United Arab Emirates 180 262 96
Total 197 4858 4052

(b) Reports of some fraudulent practice by private recruitment agents prior to 2015, had prompted the Government to take the following steps to protect the nurses:

(i) Only six State Government Recruiting Agencies (RAs) viz NORKA Roots of Kerala, Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) of Kerala, Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd. (OMCL) of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) of Uttar Pradesh, Overseas Manpower Company Andhra Pradesh Limited (OMCAP) of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) of Telangana were permitted to recruit nurses. Thereafter under stringent ‘Terms & Conditions’ of recruiting nurses a few private RAs have been permitted to recruit nurses for ECR countries under the ‘Country Specific Order’

(ii) All nurses were brought under ECR category, thereby necessitating their having to take emigration clearances before proceeding for deployment in 18 ECR countries.

(iii) Additional Terms & Conditions to be adhered to by the Foreign Employers and RAs were prescribed to be accepted before issuance of ‘Country Specific Order’ to recruit nurses.

(c) After May 2015 there are no reported cases of nurses having been defrauded. No data of cases prior to May 2015 are available with Government.

(d) No.

(e) Does not arise in view of (d) above; the steps taken by the Government to protect the interests of nurses are already given in part (b) above