While the government is said to have effectively plugged the migration of nurses to foreign countries through private agencies, it is learnt that the agencies profiteering by running the show for several years have found loopholes to continue recruiting nurses.
Sources in the industry told The Hindu that the law endorsing only government agencies to recruit nurses for jobs abroad are applicable only in the country. The agencies have therefore made arrangements for nurses recruitment for the next six to 12 months by arranging visiting visas to countries where there are vacancies for nurses.
Once they reach the destined country, the agencies arrange interviews for them there, said Praveena P., an educational entrepreneur helping nurses to qualify examinations required as primary eligibility for overseas recruitment.
The manner in which the agencies are running the business has only changed a little, she said. They continue to exploit nurses by extracting sums to the tune of Rs. 18 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh at various stages of “processing visas” when the total expense incurred in going abroad through the government agency is only about Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000. Even now awareness among nurses is very low about the manner they can land jobs abroad.
