UAE Sends SOS Message To PM Modi, Asks For Doctors And Healthcare Professionals To Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reached out to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's Government, requesting it to send doctors and nurses to help the Gulf nation fight COVID-19 pandemic, reports Hindustan Times.

The Indian Government has received two particular requests from the UAE, both of which are under consideration. One is to allow healthcare providers who had travelled to India before the commercial flight operations were suspended to return to UAE and resume their duties. Another request made by the UAE is for permission to hire or avail services of doctors and nurses for a shorter duration to sail over the immediate crisis.

“We have received two requests. One, to allow the healthcare providers who were travelling to India when commercial flights were cancelled to return to UAE to resume their duties,” a top government functionary told Hindustan Times.

UAE is also said to have offered to send a special flight to fly the Indian healthcare professionals who are employed in hospitals there but are presently in India.

UAE, with a population of less than 10 million have already reported over 11,000 COVID-19 cases and has been adding over 500 new cases to that tally on an average each day. It also gains significance as UAE is home to many Indian nationals.

Given this nature of relationship shared between the two nations, the first request made by UAE is likely to be processed soon, while the second one requesting permission to hire additional Indian doctors and other healthcare professionals is expected to draw wider consultations within the government as a decision on this matter can only be made after evaluating India's domestic requirement at this stage.