Eighty eight nurses are due to arrive at Dubai Airport Terminal Two on Saturday night to help the UAE in its bid to defeat the coronavirus.

Gulf News has learnt that 88 nurses are among the first batch of intensive care unit (ICU) and critical care trained nurses to be arriving in the UAE at 8.30pm tonight.

They are from Kolhapur, Karnataka and Kerala hospitals belonging to the Aster DM Healthcare Group.

From the other end, nurses from India all set to land in Dubai tonight. India-UAE cooperation continues... pic.twitter.com/nskPwjnNJV

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) May 9, 2020

This has been a joint effort from the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, India’s Consul General and Ambassadorial offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Aster DM Healthcare Group, Gulf News understands.

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Earlier on Saturday 180 Indian passengers were repatriated from Sharjah to Lucknow, and the Consul General of India in Dubai tweeted pictures of the nurses coming on a flight in the opposite direction to the Lucknow departees.

“From the other end, nurses from India all set to land in Dubai tonight,” read the tweet. “India-UAE cooperation continues,” it added.

A second tweet read, “A salute to India, UAE and the humanity from the medical workers. We all depend on you. Salute from us as well.”

A salute to India, UAE and the humanity from the medical workers. We all depend on you, Salute from us as well. pic.twitter.com/QyqrJGTIuR

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) May 9, 2020

News of this transfer of Indian health professional to the UAE was first announced on May 2, when the UAE Embassy in India, tweeted, “Within the framework of the keenness of @UAEEmbassyIndia to support efforts of UAE in combating #Covid_19, Indian authorities allowed to send first batch of medical team of 88 specialists, doctors & nurses to UAE within short period to support UAE’s efforts in fighting #Corona.”

“This reflects the special importance the Indian government attaches to bilateral relations between two countries,” the tweet added.

Consul General of India in Dubai, Vipul told Gulf News that these medical professionals include those, who got stuck while on leave back home, and the recently recruited healthcare professionals to help in the UAE’s battle against the pandemic.

“The MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) has given its approval [for flying them into the UAE] and further formalities will be completed soon,” he said on May 2.

Vipul said the Indian Consulate and the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation were involved in processing the request for healthcare professionals from the UAE.

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A diplomatic source explained that foreign ministers of some of the Gulf countries had requested that their medical personnel who are presently in India be allowed to go back during their recent discussions with the India’s External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar.

“EAM assured that the matter would be given sympathetic consideration,” the source added.

Source