Centre must help NRIs stuck in COVID-19 hotspots: Cong

The Congress on Saturday accused the central government of ignoring the plight of Indians stuck in COVID-19 hotspots abroad and sought immediate measures to safeguard their lives.

In a statement, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the Centre must ensure their testing and provide medical help to them on an urgent basis in this humanitarian crisis.

"The central government is callously ignoring the plight of COVID-19 positive Indian citizens living abroad," he said.

The Congress leader said it is a matter of concern that Indian embassies and missions abroad are woefully lacking a comprehensive and practical approach to deal with this unprecedented global health crisis.

He said many countries have taken extraordinary efforts to rescue their citizens stranded abroad, including in India, during the present global lockdown by sending special aircraft.

"The Indian government cannot leave the NRI citizens at the mercy of fate and it should take immediate measures to safeguard the citizens stranded in the COVID-19 hotspots abroad," the Congress leader noted.

Venugopal said there has been substantial increase in coronavirus cases in the gulf and west Asian countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"India's large expat population working in these countries are consequently affected by the virus and the Government of India ought to take extraordinary measures on a war footing to ensure medical care to these people stranded abroad," he said.

Since a vast number of them working in the informal sectors have been living in makeshift labour camps, they have been facing difficulties to follow even the social distance protocol amidst this global pandemic, the Congress general secretary said.

Venugopal added that the fear of community transmission and lack of access to immediate medical help, including testing as well as treatment, have put their lives in great peril.