Thiruvananthapuram: A delegation of NORKA -Roots will be visiting Kuwait to tap job opportunities for nurses in Kerala as well as other Indian states. The recruitment of nurses from the state to Kuwait has been hit since 2015 after the Centre decided to make all recruitment of nurses through the e-Migrate portal of the Ministry of External Affairs. Kuwait has been one of the most sought-after destinations for nurses from India considering the high remuneration.
Government sources said that even as the Kuwait Health Ministry recently decided to make recruitment of Indian nurses through government agencies, NORKA-Roots, which is one of the government recruiting agencies, is yet to receive any placement orders. Hence it was decided to depute a delegation to hold discussions with officials of Kuwait Health Ministry.
A delegation comprising NORKA Roots chief executive officer Harikrishnan Namboothiri and NORKA Roots recruitment manager Ajith Kolassery would be going to Kuwait this month. They would be holding discussions with Kuwait Health Ministry officials and try to sort out issues pertaining to recruitment of nurses through NORKA Roots. Since it is a matter involving another country, the visit of NORKA Roots delegation would require the nod of the Ministry of External Affairs, said sources.
The centre had restricted recruitment of nurses to Gulf countries through e-Migrate portal from 2015 in the wake of the massive exploitation by unscrupulous elements. Heavy commissions of up to Rs. 20 lakh was being charged by the agents. It was in view of the massive irregularities in recruitment that the Kuwait Health Ministry also recently decided to recruit nurses through government agencies. Since 2015, Kerala and Kuwait government officials held several rounds of talks to clear the impasse over recruitment of nurses. But those had remained inconclusive.
