KOCHI: Nearly 500 Malayali nurses are left stranded in Dubai after they were sent by a private agency that offered them jobs in the name of COVID vaccination duty. The nurses have lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister and the Police Chief, alleging that they are locked up in rooms without being employed. The complaint has been lodged against the company named Take Off which is based in Kaloor, Ernakulam. Each nurse had paid Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 3 lakh to the agency. of The nurses were flown to Dubai on a three-month visiting visa after being offered a job, a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh, free accommodation, and food. At least 13 women are staying in each dormitory that has only 1 bathroom. They are being served bad food in these dormitories.

The agency is now demanding the nurses to do home nurse duty as the COVID vaccination duty has come to an end. It has also threatened that it will not return the money to those who refuse to do home nurse duty. Some nurses from poor families have gone for home nursing.

The company in Kaloor is owned by a man named Firoz Khan. The nurses, who were offered jobs at Al Rashid Hospital, were brought to Dubai on March 28.